


Clipped Wings

by Beyond_Kailani



Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL Brothers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-04-27 17:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 54,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5057458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beyond_Kailani/pseuds/Beyond_Kailani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. The boy from Gray Terminal would do anything for his brothers. Even if the price meant his freedom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Boy from High Town

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here it is, the fic that ate up the better part of my writing time for the last five months! Unbelievably, I'd intended this to be a one-shot but as soon as I sat down to write, it kind of took on a life of its own!
> 
> Big thank you to the wonderful and ever patient Mithril Lace who not only beta'd for me but also provided inspiration and motivation :D Chances are without her, this wouldn't have seen the light of day for a very long time!

Sabo closed his eyes as a cool sea breeze drifted in through the open window, causing his soft blond curls to dance gently. He breathed in deeply, the salty air a welcome reprieve from the overpowering stench of potpourri his mother insisted on having in every room of the house, including her sons' bedrooms.

A soft twitter caught his attention and blue eyes opened slowly. He glanced down and spied a blackbird that was currently nesting in the tree just below his window. Its early morning song was a welcoming distraction from the hustle and bustle he could hear rising up from the awakening city.

Sabo smiled, listening to the blackbird twitter again. He whistled softly in reply, causing the bird to tilt its head curiously before swiftly gliding up onto the window ledge. He chuckled lightly.

"Sorry, I don't have any food for you right now," he said softly, wondering what in the world his brothers would think if they could hear him talking to a bird. Luffy would no doubt find it hilarious and try and join in the conversation. Ace would probably stare at them as though they'd lost their minds. Sabo smiled ruefully at the thought, wondering how true that statement could actually be when the bird twittered again. "You wouldn't want anything from here anyway," he mused. "It all tastes like crap. Gray Terminal has better offerings."

A sharp knock at his bedroom door was all the warning he received before one of the maids bustled in. Sabo caught her disapproving frown before her face flickered back to the polite and respectful expression his father required from all of his staff. Sabo ignored the slip, gaze returning to the open book in his lap. He was well aware by now that none of the staff approved of his favourite reading place. He'd fashioned a window seat out of a couple of old crates and cushions and everyone but Sabo believed it to be an eyesore. The only reason his mother had permitted such an ugly thing in the house was because it was in a room company rarely ventured into. Sabo liked it, not only because it annoyed his parents but because it also allowed him a perfect view of the nearby port. Many an hour had been spent staring at the ships and their crews, wondering how much it would cost to bribe them in order to gain his passage from this godforsaken house.

Sabo shook his head slightly, dampening down his thoughts of freedom. He couldn't leave. His father would go after Ace and Luffy and he refused to let that happen.

"Young Master," said the maid, breaking into his thoughts and quickly going about pulling some clean clothes from his wardrobe. "Your father has requested your presence down at breakfast."

Sabo heaved a sigh, closing his book with a sharp snap. Rather unwillingly, he took the offered shirt from the maid, knowing if he arrived in the breakfast parlor wearing yesterday's clothes his mother would have a fit, and Sabo didn't particularly feel like receiving a lecture that morning. He could already feel a headache coming on.

A short while later, Sabo slid into his usual chair beside Stelly who was, as usual, fawning under their mother's attention. The older boy personally couldn't think of anything worse than having his parent's attention on him but Stelly reveled in it. He'd once boasted to Sabo that he made a game of it to see how many compliments he could get out of their mother in a day.

"You're late," Outlook grunted, not looking up from his morning scrutiny of the newspaper.

"Sorry, I was reading," said Sabo, eyeing the breakfast table distastefully and trying to find something that looked halfway appetising. He grimaced when Stelly reached over him for what looked to be his third strawberry tart of the morning.

"Hopefully you were revising for that test one of your tutors informed me you have on Thursday. We don't want you failing this one like you did the last," his father huffed.

"I didn't fail the last one. Stelly did," Sabo replied, finally deciding that the porridge looked to be the lesser evil and would hopefully slip down without much effort.

"Nonsense!" his mother shrieked. She patted Stelly's hand with an endearing smile. "My little Stelly didn't get a single answer wrong did you, sweetheart?"

Mouth full of strawberry tart, Stelly could only shake his head, flashing a smirk at Sabo while their mother fluttered about finding him another sickly sweet pastry.

"I suppose the book was incorrect then," Sabo muttered to himself.

"Belinda, silence please," said Outlook, shutting down his wife's simpering. Sabo was more than a little alarmed when the newspaper was lowered and he was confronted with a very cool gaze. "Sabo, since your tutor for today was dismissed following his atrocious behaviour, you will be accompanying me to the office in town until a suitable replacement is found. It's high time you started putting what those tutors are stuffing in your head into practice."

Sabo stifled a groan of despair at the thought of spending an entire day in his father's company. Everyone agreed it was better when Outlook and Sabo spent as little time in each other's presence as possible and Sabo was less than eager to change the status quo.

He cast an annoyed glare at Stelly, the sole reason Sabo's favourite tutor had been fired the previous week after taking the blame for one of the younger's pranks. But to Sabo's surprise, Stelly had a deep frown spreading across his face.

"Father, can't I come with you to the office, too?" he asked. Sabo sensed he wasn't the only one staring at his adopted brother in bemusement. Stelly never offered to do anything.

"Out of the question," said Outlook, picking up his newspaper again. "Professor Binns is a fine tutor for you. We mustn't inconvenience him or he may not have time for your lessons and that would be a loss indeed. He came very highly recommended."

"Stelly, darling, you don't want to go to the office anyway, it'll be dreadfully boring. You don't need to know any of that. Sabo's your father's heir, let him mingle with the commoners," Belinda tried to reason, looking slightly uncertain as to how to deal with the very downcast expression on her young son's face.

"Make sure you dress in your best today, Sabo. And I'd better not see those blasted goggles on your hat again," Outlook warned.

"Of course not, Father," Sabo sighed. He hadn't actually found the place his father had hidden them since the last time he'd forgotten to remove them from his top hat before venturing outside, but Outlook didn't need to know that. "When are we leaving?"

"In half an hour," Outlook replied shortly.

"May I be excused to go and get ready, Mother?" Sabo asked, forcing a polite smile onto his face and hoping it hadn't come out as a grimace. Belinda nodded stiffly and pursed her lips tightly when Stelly also jumped out of his seat. Sabo rolled his eyes before making to follow, knowing that if he had made to leave without permission he'd have been sternly lectured on manners, but of course there was one set of rules for him and another for Stelly.

"You're so lucky," Stelly griped as he stomped up the grand staircase towards the two rooms that had been designated as the boys' studies.

"Yeah, so lucky to be spending the day locked up in an office," Sabo replied, following at a slightly more sedate pace. Stelly whirled around abruptly they reached the top.

"I want to go to the office! Why do you get to go?" he whined.

"If you hadn't blamed that prank on Professor Nessham, I wouldn't be going to the office with Father," Sabo reminded the pouting boy, walking around him.

"Hm," Stelly sighed. "Yes, if I'd have blamed the prank on Old Man Binns I'd be able to go to the office with Father myself, and he'd be able to see that I'm a much better choice than _you_ to take over the family business," he said thoughtfully, dragging his feet along the carpet behind Sabo.

"I thought you liked Old Man Binns," Sabo remarked with a small frown.

"I do," Stelly insisted. "He's hilarious! He's so fat he takes ten minutes to get up the stairs, and then when he does he needs a half hour break before he can even start the lesson! And after lunch, I can do whatever I want because he always falls asleep when Mother goes for afternoon tea and Father's in one of his meetings," he said with a wide grin.

That certainly explained why Stelly hadn't been in his study and how poor Professor Nessham had gotten caught up in the rather elaborate 'trap' that'd been set to scare the next unfortunate maid walking along the corridor. The man had been so shocked at seeing the white sheet fall from the ceiling that he'd gotten all tangled up in it and managed to knock over one of Belinda's favourite vases. Needless to say, he'd been asked to compensate for the damage and told not to return, much to Sabo's disappointment. He had been the most lively of Sabo's tutors by far, always happy to go slightly off the strict curriculum if it meant touching upon a subject that interested his student.

If he hadn't seen Stelly's shocked – although still very amused – expression, Sabo would have thought that he'd tried to get rid of the man on purpose. Stelly certainly took great pleasure in taking everything else Sabo enjoyed away from him. The little brat still hadn't returned half the navigation books he'd claimed he desperately needed for a project - one Sabo knew didn't even exist - but no matter how much he searched, he still couldn't find the books.

"I don't know why Father's insisting on taking you," Stelly huffed. "We all know you're never going to take over the family business. You'll be out of here the first opportunity you get."

Sabo frowned and turned to the boy in confusion. "Out of here?" he repeated.

Stelly nodded. "Of course. You're planning on running away again, aren't you? I must say, you've been rather clever waiting all these years before making another attempt. Let them all lower their guard and then make a break for it," he smirked.

Sabo stared at him in disbelief. "Stelly, I'm not leaving again."

Stelly appeared to be frozen for several seconds at that admission before an angry red blush spread across his chubby cheeks. "Why the hell not? You obviously don't want to be here. Why wouldn't you leave?"

"It's not that I wouldn't," Sabo said softly. "It's just that I _can't_. I refuse to let anyone hurt my brothers if I can help it," he whispered, turning away from the stunned twelve-year-old and slowly continuing the long walk to his room. For some reason, it seemed to take much longer than normal.

**xxx**

Sabo could tell the excitement the clerks had initially felt at having their employer's young son and heir in the office was quickly diminishing as he fired question after question at them. A few seemed genuinely impressed at the depths of his queries while the rest simply looked rather disgruntled at being told they were doing it wrong.

Sabo had only been in his father's office for a couple of hours, but already he could see not everything was done by the books. The clerks had made a big show of allowing Sabo to look at the ship logs, but even with a fleeting glimpse, the blond could tell there were several large discrepancies in the client's invoices. He knew for a fact his father only had a merchant ship go out every fortnight; he claimed it saved on costs but the accountancy books showed clients were being invoiced for shipments every week. When he had pointed this out to the clerk, the book had been firmly slammed shut with a harsh whisper to keep his voice down, and a nervous glance had been sent to the front of the office where one of the said clients was chatting amicably to his father. Sabo had been less than impressed but let the subject drop when his father glared at him darkly.

Sabo had instead turned his attention to a more entertaining pastime. He had feared it would be an even more tedious day than normal, being forced to suffer silently in his father's company, however the clerks' reactions after a morning of continual grilling was enough to keep Sabo amused. One old man had scrubbed a hand through his hair so hard he'd even dislodged his wig.

"Are you sure this is correct? It certainly doesn't sound it," said Sabo, trying his hardest to conceal a small smirk as the clerk before him actually appeared to be on the brink of tears.

"Of course it's correct, Young Master," he stuttered, very flustered and wringing his shaky hands together as Sabo made a show of studying the file he'd picked up without invitation. The clerk looked like he wanted nothing more than to snatch the papers back, but daren't raise a hand against the young noble.

"But this ship, _The Anchor_ , was logged as being out, why's it not back yet? Its return date was three days ago." If there was one thing Outlook prided himself on (outside of his vast wealth) it was promptness, but there had been no record of communication with the ship in over a week. Sabo forcefully pushed aside the uncomfortable weight that had settled heavily in his stomach, his mind racing with all sorts of possible scenarios about what could've happened to it as he carefully re-read the notes.

"Um, well, that's – I mean, it's not, you – The Young Master shouldn't be concerning himself with such idle matters, surely?" the clerk stammered.

"Sabo!"

Sabo flinched when a rough hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed threateningly. He looked back to see his father staring down at him, clearly annoyed. The file was ripped from his grasp and thrown into the arms of the grateful clerk.

"Leave these good men to their jobs now, you've distracted them enough today," he said, steering Sabo forcefully towards the main door. "Go and find a new book or something," he ordered, thrusting a heavy purse into Sabo's hands. "I have an important client coming in today for a meeting and I'd rather he not overhear how insolent you're being."

Sabo blinked, squinting slightly in the bright afternoon sun he suddenly found himself standing in. The office door slammed shut behind him with a resounding thud. Rather stunned at the sudden turn of events, Sabo could only stand in the middle of the pavement, staring down at the weighty purse clasped in his hands.

A loud tutting caught his attention and he jerked around to see an elderly woman staring disapprovingly down at him from underneath the shelter of a large, floral parasol. She waved one gloved hand impatiently at him, gesturing for him to remove himself from her path. Sabo forced a smile and tipped his hat quickly in silent apology before turning and making a hasty retreat away from the office.

In all honesty, Sabo was a little ashamed to find himself rather at a loss as to how to spend his unexpected free time. He'd had little to no time to himself outside the confines of his bedroom in the last four years. He'd certainly been allowed out before, but always with a minder, his parents being naturally untrusting of him not to make a dash for freedom as soon as the opportunity arose. Outlook had only done away with them a couple of months ago, when his mother had finally decided the guards were an absolute eyesore since all they did was mindlessly lounge outside Sabo's study or bedroom.

Sabo found himself a little overwhelmed. Whilst certainly elated at his unexpected freedom, he hardly felt comfortable. The mass of nobles going about their daily business made him shy away from the main streets; the men's heavy cigar smoke and the women's rich perfumes were quickly giving the blond a headache.

He tugged on the collar of his stiff shirt once before forcing himself to stop. Sabo had nothing against dressing well, but he wished more than anything he was back in his lighter shirt and cravat. They were at least easier to move in and didn't feel like they were going to choke him every time he turned his head.

Pausing briefly outside what looked to be a promising bookshop, Sabo's attention was snatched away from the window display by several loud police whistles and alarmed screeches. He snorted softly in amusement when several women nearby began to chatter nervously as the commotion drew closer. He was so intent on ignoring the little drama unfolding that he nearly missed the excited voices across the street.

"Did you see that guy? He looked like a toad, Ace!"

"Laugh later, Luffy, for now just shut up and run!"

Heart pounding, Sabo spun around so quickly he nearly gave himself whiplash. There, across the street and rushing up the small incline towards him, were his brothers. Both were grinning with boyish excitement and Luffy had a leg of meat clutched tightly in his hand, leading Sabo to assume they must have done a 'dine and dash'.

It was the first time in four years that Sabo had seen his brothers, he realised, a deep ache rising from deep within his chest as he watched the pair move ever closer. He couldn't take his eyes off them, drinking in the two achingly familiar faces. Instinctively, he took a single halting step towards them.

" _I hold their lives in hands. If you really care for them…"_

Sabo's entire body froze, his father's words echoing in his mind. Outlook had already proven he was willing to hire pirates once before to do his dirty work. There was nothing to say he wouldn't do so again if he discovered Sabo had been seen near what his father believed to be 'mountain trash'. Shaking his head, Sabo forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath. He couldn't go to them. He wouldn't put them in danger, especially when they both looked so happy and healthy. Better he slipped away quietly before –

"Sabo!"

He jerked his head up and spotted Luffy standing almost directly opposite him across the street, his little arms waving frantically. Ace stood behind him, his face slack with shock that Sabo was sure had to be mirrored on his own.

"Hey, Sabo! Ace, look it's Sabo!"

Sabo had to wonder how in the world Luffy had managed to recognise him. He was dressed in finer clothes unlike anything his brother's had seen him in before, and Ace's slightly horrified expression as his gaze roved over him was enough confirmation to the blond that he hadn't been exaggerating when he'd looked in the mirror earlier that morning and felt like he couldn't recognise the person staring back.

Luffy looked like he wanted to lunge across the street to his brother when angry voices and pounding footsteps interrupted them.

"There they are! Catch them! Thieves!"

Ace grabbed Luffy's arm and pulled him back, causing their little brother's face to crumble in disappointment as he was forcefully pulled along. Sabo breathed a quick sigh of relief, not sure he would've had the strength to turn Luffy away when he wanted nothing more than to run away with them.

The policemen appeared over the crest of the slope, shouting angrily at the two dark-haired boys.

"Run, Luffy!" Ace half-snarled, shooting the men bearing down on them a dirty look.

Sabo moved without thinking; he threw his weight against a nearby flower stall, knocking the rickety thing into motion. The street had just enough of an incline that the cart quickly gathered momentum and sped towards the storming policemen.

Sabo allowed himself a small victory smirk as he watched them get knocked over like bowling pins, certain he heard Luffy's signature laughter over the panicked screams and curses. Dismissing the men immediately, Sabo turned to check Ace and Luffy had taken advantage of his intervention. There was no sign of the two dark-haired youths. They'd disappeared just as quickly as they'd arrived.

**xxx**

For the next two weeks, everywhere he went Sabo seemed to catch glimpses of his brothers out the corner of his eye, yet whenever he turned for a closer look, there would be no sign of them. It was just like when he'd first returned with his father and had spent as much time as he dared searching for them, hoping to catch some small sign that they were both okay after the fire that had ravaged Gray Terminal.

Except this time, Sabo was more desperate than ever to see them again. Hearing their voices, being so excruciatingly close enough to touch them, had reawakened a desire for contact that he'd thought he had smothered out completely. He didn't care how fleeting it might be; he wanted to see Ace and Luffy.

Sabo heaved another sigh as he walked slowly down one of the quieter streets of Edge Town. Outlook still hadn't found a replacement for the disgraced Professor Nessham and so Sabo had once again been permitted to wander.

It was thoroughly boring, he acknowledged, ducking into the mouth of an alley to avoid a horse and cart as it cantered down the cobbled street.

Sabo jumped when a small but surprisingly strong hand wrapped itself around his wrist and gave a sharp tug. He stumbled awkwardly and glanced down. It took him half a second to register that the arm attached to the hand was stretching far back into the deep shadows of the alley. Sabo grinned and his nerves suddenly jumped with excitement. There was only one person he knew who could stretch like that.

The hand tugged at him again, urgently. Sabo allowed himself to be led along, a little surprised at just how far Luffy had managed to stretch before he was yanked around a corner. He barely had time to check out his surroundings before a heavy weight barreled into him, nearly knocking him clean off his feet.

"Sabo!" shouted Luffy, giggling in delight and wrapping his rubbery arms as tightly as possible around the blond's neck.

Uncaring that he would have to answer to why his pristine suit was covered in dirt, Sabo returned Luffy's tight embrace, lifting his little brother clear off the ground.

"Hi, Luffy," he grinned as he finally set the younger down. Over Luffy's shoulder he spied Ace leaning back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He was steadfastly staring at the opposite wall of the alley. Sabo's excitement at seeing his brothers deflated slightly in the face of Ace's physical and emotional detachment. "Ace," he greeted, somewhat hesitantly. The other flashed him a blank look before returning his gaze to the wall.

Sabo didn't have too much time to be disappointed with Ace's lack of response before Luffy pounced on him again. "Ignore Ace, he's been grumpy for days," he whined. Ace glared at him but Luffy barely even noticed as he tugged on Sabo's arm eagerly. "Hey, did you see how far I stretched? Did you?" he gushed with pride.

Sabo ginned. "I did, but you have to stay quiet or someone might find us." It wouldn't do for them to be caught now, especially since Sabo wouldn't be missed for hours. "So, tell me," Sabo encouraged sitting down with his back against the alley wall. "What've you been up to?"

It was all the encouragement Luffy needed. He barely seemed to even bother pausing for breath as he related four years' worth of exciting adventures, his whole body practically vibrating with excitement. Sabo listened with rapt attention, soaking in Luffy's boundless enthusiasm like a starved man.

"I'm really strong now," finished Luffy with a cheeky smirk. "I can even use my Gum Gum Pistol!"

Ace snorted. "Still can't control your rebounds," he said.

Sabo laughed at the very indignant look Luffy shot their brother, though his laughter faded when he finally managed to catch Ace's eye briefly before the other looked away again.

Sabo sighed lightly, unsure of what to say to his brother. It was plainly obvious that Ace was angry with him, and Sabo was pretty certain it was because he'd left after they'd been caught by Bluejam. But Ace couldn't hold a grudge forever, could he? Sabo worried silently. He'd eventually see that Sabo had had no choice but to walk away from his freedom. There was no one more important to the blond than the two people currently in front of him and he would do whatever necessary to protect them.

"I wanted to come see you sooner," said Luffy, shifting to lean against Sabo. "But Ace said we had to leave you alone," he pouted.

Sabo dropped an arm around Luffy's shoulders and tapped the brim of the straw hat teasingly. "Ace is right. If my father ever caught us together again, we'd all be in serious trouble," he explained.

"We can see you again though, right?" Luffy asked. "Or you could come with us? We can all go home together," he added, hopefully.

Sabo stared down at him, slightly dismayed and hating himself for having to disappoint him. "Luffy, I -"

"Sabo probably has more important things to do than run off with us," Ace interjected, his scathing remark cutting into Sabo's heart like a knife. Sabo looked up at him, staring remorsefully into grey eyes.

"You know why I can't go with you," he whispered. Ace looked away.

Luffy suddenly frowned and jumped to his feet. "If you can't come with us, then we'll come to you," he insisted. "We can meet here!" A brilliant smile suddenly burst across his face at his idea.

Sabo gaped at him for several long moments, completely baffled at how Luffy thought that was a good suggestion. "No, Luffy. What if someone sees us?"

Luffy waved a hand dismissively. "We won't be seen. We'll be careful. We can come again, can't we, Ace?"

Sabo wanted to bury his face in hands. Luffy and 'careful' never went well together, he thought despairingly. He glanced up at Ace, hoping he would cut off Luffy's crazy scheming, but the other boy had been caught by Luffy, who was urgently tugging his brother's arm.

"Ace, please, let's come again. You want to see Sabo too, don't you? We can, can't we?" Luffy pleaded, nearly in tears.

"We could," Ace said, somewhat reluctantly. Sabo gawked at the pair, feeling like he was missing something. He'd never seen Ace give into Luffy's demands without an argument before.

Luffy cheered loudly until Ace tapped him on the head, whispering at him to keep it down already.

"You're both crazy if you think this can work," Sabo cut in, rubbing a temple. He wasn't comforted at all by the twin smirks that appeared on his brothers' faces. Sabo heaved a sigh. "I've no idea how you expect me to get out of lessons."

Luffy laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Sabo's smart! You'll think of something!"

"Luffy, we need to leave," said Ace shortly, his face turned upwards to the gradually fading daylight. "We need to get out before they shut the gates."

"Aw," Luffy whined.

Sabo pushed himself to his feet only be nearly knocked down again as Luffy slammed into him. Deep, brown eyes peered up at him pleadingly.

"Please meet us again, Sabo, we miss you," he said, arms tightening around Sabo's waist.

Sabo smiled sadly even as he finally nodded. He never had been able to say no to his little brother. "I'll send you a note when I can, okay? I can't promise anything though," he warned. Luffy simply beamed at him, the knowledge Sabo would do what he could clearly enough for him.

"Luffy," Ace called, already having leapt onto the top of the high wall of the alley.

Luffy threw his arms up and grabbed the wall. Sabo stepped back sharply as Luffy sprang forward, only to overshoot the top of the wall and land with a loud clatter of bins on the other side.

"That didn't hurt!" he shouted back, voice somewhat muffled. Ace rolled his eyes.

Sabo smiled fondly before turning to Ace, his expression falling slightly. "I'll see you soon?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly. He knew that no matter how much Luffy wanted to see him again, if Ace didn't agree to the idea then it would never work. Luffy wouldn't be capable of navigating the winding streets of Edge Town by himself and it was far too risky for Sabo to go and meet him at the gate.

Ace didn't reply; he simply disappeared from sight over the wall.

Sabo stared at the place Ace had been. He dropped his head slowly, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He was so stupid, he thought, hands clenched tightly at his side, nails digging into his palms. There was no way Ace would risk leading Luffy into Edge Town just to meet him. No amount of begging would save his brothers a second time and Ace knew that. He was an idiot to even contemplate –

"See you soon," Ace called, his quiet voice barely carrying over the wall.

Sabo slowly raised his head and stared at the brick wall separating them. A faint smile broke out across his face.

"Yeah, soon," he whispered.

**xxx**

"Don't even think about it," said Sabo quietly, not bothering to raise his eyes from his book as the presence behind him froze.

There was grumpy sigh from behind him and out the corner of one eye he spotted Stelly swiftly throwing himself down into the comfortable chair next to the empty fireplace.

"What gave me away?" he grumbled, throwing aside a wet towel, no doubt swiped from the kitchen, into the corner with a wet 'plop'.

Sabo glanced over to him and smirked. "You're still too loud," he said, making a point of gesturing to the heeled boots the noble insisted on wearing at all times. Stelly had been most put-out to realise on their last visit to the clothing store that Sabo had suddenly shot up in the last year and now towered over the younger by a good two inches. Once again, Sabo was grateful for the years spent honing his instincts in Gray Terminal as he eyed the wet cloth with disgust. Judging by the stench rolling off the thing, it wasn't drenched in water.

"What are you doing?" asked Stelly curiously, wiping his damp hands on the comfy chair, the pastel pink fabric slowly bleeding a dark red. His greedy little eyes quickly zoomed in on the small plate of cookies a maid had laid out for Sabo with his evening tea, which the blond had so far ignored. Quick as a cat, he snatched up a handful, scarfing them down so fast Sabo was a little surprised he didn't choke.

"Reading," replied Sabo bluntly, knowing it was better to go through the twenty questions than have Stelly scream and rage that Sabo was ignoring him. Stelly didn't need to know he was trying to distract himself from the problem Luffy had unexpectedly thrown at him. He'd gone over numerous plans and ideas over the last several days, but so far had failed to come up with a plausible excuse that would hold up against his father's scrutiny and allow him to secretly meet his brothers.

Stelly turned up his nose haughtily. "You're so boring," he griped, a spray of crumbs erupting from his mouth. "You used to be so much more entertaining to watch, trying to give your minders the slip all the time."

Sabo snorted and nodded to the wet cloth, which was slowly creating a rather large puddle. "Is that why you've resorted to making your own entertainment?"

Stelly looked at him curiously. "You don't even write anymore. All you do is read or stare out the window."

Sabo blinked in surprise when he realised that for once Stelly was right. He used to regularly fill several sheets of parchment with accounts of his days, usually addressing each entry to Ace and Luffy, thinking that one day he might be able to share the journals with them. But in recent months he had rarely picked up a quill outside of his lessons.

He barely had time to ponder the reason why when the study door slammed open and Outlook stormed in.

Stelly jumped to his feet and dashed to meet him. "Hello, Father," he greeted, a coy smile appearing on his face as Outlook patted the top of his head.

"Stelly," Outlook acknowledged before turning his attention to Sabo who was forced to stare up at his father at an uncomfortable angle as Outlook loomed over him, hands clasped neatly behind his back. "Sabo, as you may have noticed, I have been having some difficulty in acquiring another tutor to take over your lessons on Tuesdays. I have spoken to your other two tutors and they both seem to believe you are old enough to be in charge of your own learning."

Sabo stared at his father, wondering where in the world the conversation was headed. If Outlook even suggested he was to spend his time in the office, Sabo would quite happily throw himself to the mercy of the closest Celestial Dragon.

"I'll admit, I'm at a loss as to what to do with you," said Outlook, glaring at him. Sabo resisted the urge to snort as he was reminded of the time his mother had received a particularly ugly (even by her standards) ornamental bowl, which she daren't discard for fear of insulting her social circle. Instead the bowl had been flung into the nearest spare room where it needn't be seen on a day-to-day basis. Sabo had new empathy for the bowl as his father stared down at him with the same disgust Belinda had shown.

"Your mother is adamant you not be allowed free reign while we are out and we certainly can't have you disrupting Stelly's education by letting you run wild," Outlook continued, dark brow furrowed in annoyance. "And after your last performance at the office, I don't want you there either. You're far too disruptive."

Behind their father, Sabo caught sight of Stelly snickering silently in delight.

"So, you don't want me alone in the house?" asked Sabo slowly, wanting to clarify exactly what his father was implying as a small idea took root in his mind.

Outlook nodded once before turning his attention to Stelly, who was tapping his arm lightly.

"Father, may I please go to the office with you instead of Sabo?" he asked, a sickly sweet smile spreading across his face.

Outlook smiled indulgently even as he shook his head. "Out of the question. Whilst Professor Binns is still able and willing, you are to have lessons with him."

Sabo ignored the quiet entreaties Stelly kept offering their father in return for a trip to the office. Luffy's voice was ringing in his ears.

" _Please meet us again, Sabo, we miss you…"_

Sabo glanced at his father, gauging his mood and hoping Stelly's badgering wasn't about to ruin it for him, his mind racing. Professor Nessham's lessons typically lasted at least five hours every afternoon. If Sabo was to have that much free time a week - free time he was required to spend outside the house - it was just enough to make it worth the risk. Any less time and there was no point in Ace and Luffy coming into town at all. Any more and Luffy would no doubt coerce his two big brothers to go out on jaunts, which they certainly couldn't afford to do. Since his return to High Town, Sabo had been forced to take steps into society and his face was unfortunately well known at this point. If anyone recognised him gallivanting around with two rather notorious trouble-makers, there would be no escaping punishment.

Sabo studied his father cautiously. Could he risk it?

" _Sabo, we miss you…"_

The blond nodded to himself as he mustered his courage. Yes, he could.

"Father," Sabo called interrupted politely as possible. "Could I please go to the library on Tuesday afternoons?"

Outlook raised a brow. "You wish to spend your time at the library?" Sabo nodded, slightly nervous as he tried to read his father's impassive face. "You wish to spend time with _borrowed_ books. You would prefer to share rather than own?" he enquired with a small sneer.

Sabo nodded again. "My tutors have mentioned previously it might be beneficial to visit," he explained, thinking fast. "I understand the library has some rather rare books in their collections and -"

Outlook tutted and waved a hand dismissively. "Very well, if it'll keep you out of our way and out of trouble you may be permitted to visit the library. But _only_ the library."

Inwardly, Sabo cheered with joy, but he was careful not to let his father see his hidden elation as he was dismissed from the study. Outlook may well change his mind if he saw it was something Sabo was actually looking forward to. Off to one side, Stelly was scuffing the toe of his boot, clearly disgruntled, but Sabo paid no mind to the glare he received as he made a swift exit. He had a note to write.

**xxx**

Sabo restlessly paced the length of the alley where he'd last met Ace and Luffy, tugging at his leather gloves nervously. He'd had a hard time of it that morning to disguise his growing enthusiasm as the time he was due to meet his brothers approached. The note he'd sent them three days ago had been as brief as possible since he hadn't wanted to chance anyone intercepting it and he was now waiting impatiently to see whether they'd been able to make it through the gates without causing too much havoc.

"Are we there yet?"

Sabo paused mid-step as Luffy's voice rose above the brick wall.

"Almost, now shut up or someone'll hear us! You go over first," replied Ace with a slight grunt. Sabo could only guess he was giving Luffy a boost over the wall rather than risk Luffy rocketing himself over and making a racket.

Sabo looked up just in time to see Luffy's round face pop over the top of the bricks. He grinned excitedly when he spotted the blond.

"Sabo!" he shouted.

"Shut up, Luffy!" Sabo hurriedly hissed, hearing Ace chorus in unison on the other side of the wall. He reached up to catch Luffy as he dropped down.

"You have to remember to keep quiet," said Sabo, a smile appearing on his face even as he softly reprimanded his giggling little brother and accepted his eager hug. "Did you have any problems?" he asked, turning to Ace when he landed silently next to them.

Ace shook his head and dusted himself off. "Nope, none. I tell ya, those gate guards are slacking off. Never used to be this easy," he said.

Sabo saw him discreetly checking over Sabo's attire, which was a lot more wearable than his usual day clothes and much closer to what his brothers were used to seeing him in, only with considerably less tears. Sabo saw him nod briefly before catching his eye and grinning widely. The blond was a little taken aback by the abrupt mood change from a couple of weeks ago.

"You actually managed to make an escape then?" Ace asked, leaning back against the wall, looking significantly more relaxed, although no less alert. Sabo couldn't really blame him. After all, they were all in the pits of hell right now, no matter how clean and pretty it looked.

Sabo nodded. "Yeah, my father couldn't find a replacement tutor so I have Tuesdays to myself," he explained.

"Every Tuesday?" Ace repeated in shock. An excited grin broke out across his face. "Great!" Sabo stared at him, more than a little surprised at his sudden enthusiasm. Ace coughed in embarrassment. "I mean, that'll please Luffy," he tried to clarify.

Understanding suddenly dawned on Sabo as he watched a small blush spread across Ace's freckled cheeks. He suddenly realised their last meeting probably hadn't been an accident. He could just imagine that Luffy had badgered and pleaded with his older brother to find Sabo after their encounter in the street. But there had been no guarantees when they parted that they would ever be able to meet again. It could've been months, if not years, before another opportunity arose, and all they had had to offer was thinly veiled assurances they would try. Ace had suffered many disappoints in his short life; he had learnt the hard way not to get his hopes up at the minute possibility of being able to see Sabo again.

Sabo smiled encouragingly. "It is great," he agreed.

A loud rustling caught their attention. They glanced over to Luffy who had been surprisingly quiet during their exchange and saw him prodding curiously at a small bag Sabo had set down in a disused doorway. "What's this? Is there food in here?" he asked hopefully.

Sabo shook his head fondly. "Those are books from the library. They're my cover story," he said with a cheeky grin. Ace and Luffy stared at him blankly. "I asked my father if I could come into town to use the library. So long as I take books back to the house every now and then, he'll have no reason to suspect I'm not where I say I am," he clarified, shrugging casually.

Luffy laughed gleefully. "See Ace, I told you Sabo was smart!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, he is," Ace agreed.

Sabo tried not to blush at the unexpected compliment.

**XXX**


	2. Children's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! Sorry if this feels a little slow but everything in this chapter is relevant for later in the fic so you're going to have to deal with some exposition!
> 
> Big thank you as always to Mithril-chan for beta'ing for me! If you haven't checked out her fics yet, go, go, go!

Sabo cursed loudly and jumped back in surprise as a lead pipe slammed into the bricks just above his head.

"Hey!" he growled in annoyance, knocking Ace's pipe aside.

"Oh, sorry," Ace replied, although he didn't particularly look it even as he stepped back to allow Sabo entry into their small alcove.

"What was that for?" asked Sabo, brushing the red brick dust from his sleeves before he dropped his usual bag of books into the doorway and sat down.

"Just making sure you're not getting rusty after being forced to laze around in High Town all these years," said Ace with a smirk.

"So you decide to aim for my head first? Good plan, Ace" he teased. Ace suddenly looked slightly chastised as he realised they would have to come up with a damn good story to explain away any bruising Sabo returned home with.

Sabo turned to Luffy who was collapsed spread eagled on the floor, fingers nearly touching either side of the alley walls. "Hey, Luffy," he greeted, ever-so-slightly amused as his little brother rolled his head towards his voice.

"Sabo, when'd you get here?" he asked.

Sabo furrowed his brow in concern as he observed Luffy's face, which was bright pink and sweaty. "Just now. Are you okay?"

Luffy whined softly. "I'm too hot! And I'm thirsty," he added with a small pout. Sabo frowned. It was certainly warm for the end of winter, but it was still several degrees cooler than the average spring day. He turned to Ace, an eyebrow raised in question.

"He decided it would be a good idea to get chased by a deer this morning," Ace explained with an exasperated sigh, and Sabo had the feeling it wasn't the first time he'd done that today. "You're just going to have to wait until we're back in the forest for some water, Luffy."

"Why were you chased by a deer?" asked Sabo, turning back to the rubber boy who had so far yet to lift a finger.

"It looked tasty," Luffy said simply, leading Sabo to conclude he'd tried hunting only to find himself as the quarry. The blond snorted in amusement, even as a small pang ripped through his chest at the realisation that Luffy was growing up so quickly he had already started hunting the larger forest game alone. He had missed so much of his brothers' lives, Sabo mused, his face falling.

Ace tapped his hat sharply, knocking it askew without the added weight of his goggles to keep it in place.

"Why were you so late meeting us? You're usually the first one here," Ace questioned, dropping down to sit cross-legged in front of the blond.

Sabo huffed in frustration. "Stelly," he ground out.

Ace frowned. "What the hell is a Stelly?"

"Is that something nobles can buy?" Luffy asked, head tilted curiously.

Sabo laughed, his bad mood instantly evaporating at the idea of being able to purchase a 'Stelly' in a shop. He shook his head. "No, Stelly is a person. My parents adopted him while I was gone the first time," he explained.

The reaction he received was unexpected to say the least. Ace's previously bemused expression instantly turned dark and Luffy sat up abruptly. "So Stelly's like your brother?!" he wailed loudly. Sabo barely had time to wonder at the fact Luffy knew what the word 'adopted' implied before large, fat tears of distress were rolling down his brother's cheeks. "Does that mean you don't need us anymore?"

"Luffy!" Sabo cried in dismay, quickly reaching for his little brother and tugging him into his lap, uncaring that Luffy was probably getting too big for such an action. "Luffy, listen to me and listen carefully. You too," he shot at Ace, whose balled fists were shaking. "Yes, my parents adopted Stelly but that _does not_ make him my brother! I have never called him my brother and I never will. You and Ace are the only two brothers I could ever want, okay?" said Sabo firmly. He wiped Luffy's damp cheeks gently, drying his tears. "Besides, why would I want another brother when I already have the pair of you," he added, nudging Ace affectionately with his foot. Luffy nodded, seemingly satisfied, and rested his head against Sabo's shoulder.

Gradually, Sabo felt the heavy tension drain away from his two brothers. He felt incredibly guilty for upsetting them, but it had never occurred to him that they would have ever considered the idea he'd somehow replaced them. They were his precious brothers, and the very thought of adding someone like Stelly into that category made him feel physically ill.

"So, smarty pants, where'd you learn what adoption means, anyway?" he asked quietly as he gently poked Luffy in the side, causing a small giggle to burst free.

"Makino," Luffy answered, fingers tangling to play with the cuff of Sabo's shirt sleeve. "She said me, you, and Ace had adopted each other as family. It came up in one of Ace's lessons when they were trying to find the right word."

"Ace is taking _lessons_?" Sabo spluttered in surprise. He turned to the older boy who blushed a brilliant red. "Why are you taking lessons from Makino?"

Ace squirmed in embarrassment under Sabo's scrutinising gaze. "Um, it's - there's someone I want to thank," he muttered. Sabo followed his line of sight to Luffy's hat, where it hung around their little brother's neck. A smile spread across his face as he realised exactly who Ace wanted to speak to. Sabo owed the man his own gratitude and he hoped the pirate Luffy loved and admired so much was prepared to receive two very grateful big brothers in the not-so-distant future.

"Me too," said Sabo, echoing the sentiment as Ace returned his smile. Luffy looked from one to the other, a small, confused frown on his face as he tried to grasp his brothers' silent communication.

"So, why did this Stelly guy make you late?" Ace asked, successfully diverting Luffy's attention before he could start pestering them to explain what they were talking about.

Sabo sighed heavily, grip unconsciously tightening around Luffy's waist. "He's just being a spoilt brat. He had a temper tantrum which delayed me getting out of the house." He half wished he had a way of showing Ace and Luffy the little show Stelly had put on earlier; it had been rather amusing to see him grow steadily purple as he screamed himself hoarse. Belinda had finally thrown Sabo out of the house when his name kept erupting from the brat's mouth in a fit of jealousy.

"Why did your parents adopt him in the first place? I mean, I know you ran away, but they have you back. Why keep him?" asked Ace, crossing his arms.

Sabo shrugged. "Ever hear of 'the heir and the spare'?" he asked. He wasn't surprised when the pair shook their heads. "It essentially means Stelly stands to inherit everything if anything ever happened to me or I wasn't able to take over the business for whatever reason," he said, breaking it down as simply as he could. He didn't need to mention Outlook's lack of confidence in Sabo and belief that he would fail were contributing factors to keeping the brat around. Sabo could hardly complain though. Stelly was useful in keeping their parents' attention firmly fixated on him and away from Sabo.

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed loudly, surprising his brothers with the outburst.

"Keep it down!" Ace hissed, bopping Luffy on the head and eying the end of the alley nervously as Luffy's voice reverberated off the walls.

"Ouch!" Luffy rubbed the small lump. He stuck his tongue out at Ace in retaliation before turning back to Sabo. "That means your parents don't need you! So you can come home with us!"

"It doesn't work like that, Luffy," the blond said with a heavy heart and he watched Luffy's face fall in disappointment. "Nobles like keeping things in their immediate family and blood heirs will always have priority. And I think my mother wants to keep Stelly as the pampered little boy she can show off at parties," he added with disgust. He had never allowed his parents to parade him around the fancy parties, and they had stopped trying after the fifth attempt had ended with Sabo overturning a banquet table. It had resulted in Sabo being banished to his bedroom for several weeks but at least his parents had stopped forcing him to mingle. Instead, they now ignored him completely when he steadfastly hid himself away in the darkest corners, snubbing all forms of contact with any noble brat that dared to approach him.

Sabo had to wonder how much longer they were going to overlook such behaviour though. He was fast approaching the age where a lot of his peers were being paired off in formal engagements, and whilst the very idea of a betrothal was repulsive, Sabo knew he couldn't escape such a dismal future forever.

He was pulled from his dark thoughts by Luffy fidgeting on his lap, twisting around to look at Ace.

"Ace, I'm still thirsty," said Luffy, pouting.

"I already said I don't have any water for you, Luffy," Ace growled in annoyance. "You're just gonna have to wait."

Luffy's small shoulders slumped. Sabo patted his back sympathetically before he suddenly recalled something he'd seen on his way down the street.

"I have an idea," he grinned. He gently shoved Luffy off his lap and stood. "I'll be back in five minutes," he threw at Ace as he dashed around the corner of the alley. He glanced around, hoping the stall owner hadn't already moved away when he heard the telltale jingle. He smirked and rushed down the street, eyes set on his goal.

True to his word, Sabo returned to the alley exactly five minutes later, carrying two of the biggest ice cream cones his allowance could buy.

Luffy's eyes turned to stars the minute he caught sight of Sabo's treat. Even Ace appeared to be drooling.

"I think you'll find this to be better than water, Lu," he grinned and carefully handed over a cone to each of them before sitting down again.

"Aren't you having one?" asked Ace, mouth smeared with chocolate.

Sabo shook his head and laughed as Luffy - having mostly finished his own cone already - made a lunge with strawberry covered fingers for Ace's half-eaten one after noticing his brother was distracted. Ace knocked his wandering hands away with a warning growl.

"So tasty!" Luffy practically squealed, licking his fingers ravenously and smearing his face.

"They're about the only good thing this place can produce," Sabo admitted, propping his chin on his hands. "Everything else tastes disgusting," he added, thinking of his own breakfast from that morning. It had taken him nearly half an hour to eat one slice of toast.

Sabo caught Ace frowning at him thoughtfully. "What?" he questioned.

Ace shook his head. "Nothing," he said, hurriedly taking another mouthful of ice cream.

Sabo shrugged, knowing Ace wouldn't tell him anything if he didn't want to. He completely missed the concerned glance Ace threw his way as he was quickly distracted by his younger brother's sticky little paws grabbing at him, excitedly demanding to know if there was a meat flavoured cone they could try next time.

**xxx**

_Two months,_ Sabo thought, shaking his head ever so slightly and peering around the corner of the building. They'd managed to keep Luffy entertained in the alley for two months before he had finally asked if they could do something together. And unfortunately, he had asked on a day neither of his brothers felt like they could refuse; Luffy's eleventh birthday.

Sabo glanced back into the shadows of the alley. Ace had a hand firmly clamped on Luffy's shoulder to prevent him leaping out into the street. He wasn't making Ace's job particularly easy either as he was bouncing on his heels, the nature of his devil fruit increasing the speed at which he was bobbing to the point that any normal person would've been feeling the effects of motion sickness.

Blue eyes darted back towards the street, the serenade of music and colour almost overpowering him as his senses were assaulted by the carnival that had taken over Edge Town in celebration of Children's Day. Sabo snorted quietly as he thought there could've been no better day for Luffy to have been born. But the carnival's very presence was the reason Luffy had so stubbornly pleaded to go out and enjoy it. He'd never been to a carnival before and of course he'd then raised the point that it was his birthday and Ace and Sabo had already said he could choose what they did that afternoon. If Sabo hadn't already known Luffy was terrible at scheming - being more of the 'act first, think later' (if at all) type of person - he would've thought Luffy had planned the whole thing. As soon as he'd proclaimed his idea to visit the carnival, and been instantly been shot down by Ace on account of it being too far away, the blasted thing had already arrived on their usual street.

"Why are we waiting? Can't we go already?" Luffy chimed from behind him, clearly excited to start their first adventure as a trio in years.

"You can't go out looking like that," said Sabo, nodding to his brother's dirty and worn clothes. Whilst the t-shirts and shorts were somehow miraculously still without tears (Sabo suspected Makino had recently visited and provided the pair with fresh clothes) they were not at all fit to be seen in out in the city streets. They would stand out like a sore thumb amongst the crowds of finely dressed nobles.

"What do you suggest then?" Ace grunted.

"Hang on, I'm looking," said Sabo, turning his back on his impatient brothers and returning to scanning the crowd, keen eyes quickly following a promising pair of boys across the street. As suspected, their interest was caught by the apple bobbing. The pair joked and shoved each other jovially for a couple of seconds before handing some money over to the vendor. Sabo gestured at Ace and Luffy to stay before darting into the crowd, blending in seamlessly as he approached the two boys. He stayed just out of their line of sight as they slipped out of their jackets and began preparing for their first attempts to bob for the apple.

Sabo struck; quick as cat, he snatched the two black jackets from where they'd been slung over the vendor's stool. He was back in the alley seconds later, grinning triumphantly at his bemused brothers.

"Here, put these on, you'll blend in more," he explained, holding out a jacket to each of them. Luffy laughed loudly as Sabo helped him into it and buttoned up the front. Sabo nodded to himself, pleased it covered most of the dirt. There was nothing to be done about the sandals but it was likely no one would notice.

Turning to Ace, Sabo tried not to snort at the look on his face. He looked decidedly unimpressed as he tugged at the sleeves, which were a little too short for his stature.

"How'd you wear these all the time?" he griped.

Sabo shrugged. "Be thankful I'm not making you wear a cravat, too," he returned, trying not to laugh as Ace stared at him, apparently horrified at the notion.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Luffy chanted, hopping anxiously from one foot to the other.

"Alright already," said Sabo, holding out a hand which Luffy eagerly accepted. "Don't let go of me, okay? And don't talk to anyone. You see something you like, just tell us," Luffy nodded, peering around the wall of the alley, excitedly watching the streamers dance in the gentle spring breeze atop the buildings. The older brothers shared a grin at the younger's eagerness.

"You're gonna have to leave that behind, Ace," Sabo said, staring at the lead pipe in his brother's hand. Ace scowled at the order but did as he was told.

Finally satisfied, Sabo led an overly excited Luffy and a rather disgruntled Ace into the crowd. He made sure to keep a firm hold on his little brother, jerking him back whenever he ventured too far from his side. Luffy didn't seem to mind the fact that he was effectively being manhandled; he was far too busy trying to look at everything at once. Sabo had to knock him on the head more than once during the first hour whenever he started to twist his neck abnormally.

Ace had the common sense to realise they were more than a little out of their usual comfort zone and kept as close as possible. When they stopped at another stall for Luffy to ogle, Sabo sensed him shifting anxiously. He glanced back to see Ace's gaze was darting every which way and he was visibly uncomfortable with his current surroundings. Sabo noted he kept clenching and unclenching his fists, as if he'd started to reach for his pipe only to remember he'd left it behind. Sabo couldn't blame him; he felt very exposed outside of their usual hide away and if it weren't for Luffy's enthusiasm he'd have turned right around and hidden away back in the shadows.

Taking pity on Ace's nerves, Sabo led the pair down a quieter street next, where - to Luffy's absolute delight - all the food stalls stood in a long row down the cobbled road. Being after the lunch rush, there was a little more breathing space between the stalls and even Sabo found himself relaxing.

"I want this one!" Luffy proclaimed, pointing at a large, steaming bowl of rice dumplings.

Sabo smiled apologetically, his pockets considerably lighter than when they first set out. "Luffy, we've spent all the money I -"

"We can use this," Ace cut in, tossing him a heavy black purse. Sabo blinked in surprise before laughing. He should have known Ace would take the opportunity for some pickpocketing. He shook his head as he counted out the required money and handed Luffy his dumplings, just managing to snatch two for Ace before the rest were wolfed down.

Ace stared at him as he handed them both over.

Sabo frowned. "What? I know they're not great but you're hungry, aren't you?" The blond could hear his brother's stomach growling from where he stood.

"Aren't you eating anything?" Ace asked quietly, still not taking a bite of the dumplings.

Sabo shook his head. He refused to mention the heavily fragranced air and smoky grills, rather than making his mouth water, were actually causing his stomach to roll uncomfortably.

"I've got a four course meal waiting for me back at the house. If I eat now, I won't later," he shrugged. Ace didn't need to know he probably wouldn't be eating all four courses in their entirety. Sabo forced himself to smile at Ace who was eyeing him suspiciously. "Seriously, I'll be fine. You'd better eat those before – where's Luffy?" he asked, abruptly realising he was no longer beside them.

Ace's eyes widened in alarm as the words registered. The pair swung around, hunting for their little brother when they heard his familiar laugh. They quickly pushed through the crowd to see Luffy perfectly absorbed in watching a street performer who was towering over everyone on stilts and juggling precariously with flaming sticks.

Ace thumped Luffy around the head as soon as he was within reach. "Don't wander off!" he reprimanded angrily. Sabo had to take a couple of deep breathes to calm his racing heart while Luffy rubbed at his newly acquired bruise.

"I just wanted to see what everyone was looking at," he grumbled. "So where to next?" he asked, wiping his sticky fingers on the borrowed jacket.

Sabo shrugged. He'd never been to the carnival before, he wasn't sure what else they could do. He was about to suggest they turn back when Luffy gasped.

"Look at that!" he shouted, his finger nearly taking out Ace's eye as he pointed at a large, wooden barrel. "You can win fish!" he laughed.

"I think it's called the duck pond," Sabo explained, letting Luffy drag him over. "You use the little fishing rods to catch the duck and if it's marked, you win a fish."

"Lame," Ace drawled. It certainly was lame in comparison to the fish Ace and Luffy were used to catching, Sabo agreed silently.

"I want a go," Luffy demanded, pushing past Ace to get to the rods.

"Don't you dare touch the water," Ace growled in warning.

"I know!" Luffy grinned, stepping up on the stool provided as the vendor accepted Sabo's payment.

Luffy apparently couldn't hunt anything, even rubber ducks, Sabo quickly realised, dissolving into hysterics. He clutched hard at Ace's quivering shoulders in an attempt to hold himself upright as Luffy tried again, and again, _and again_ to catch one of the ducks. The vendor looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry when nearly every one of the toys went flying in every direction imaginable thanks to Luffy overenthusiastically swinging the rod around in a miserable attempt to claim a prize. Two minutes later, all the ducks were missing from the 'pond' and Luffy was absolutely soaked.

"Aw, I lost," Luffy pouted, staring glumly at the empty hook of his fishing rod and hopping down from the stool.

"You think?" Ace quipped dryly.

"You look like you're wearing half the water!" Sabo chortled and Luffy patted at his jacket, trying in vain to dry it.

"I wanted a fish, though," said Luffy, although he didn't look too disappointed to be leaving empty handed as he bounded back to Ace's side.

"Why'd you want a fish? You don't have anywhere to keep it," said Sabo, steering the pair back through the thinning crowd.

"I was gonna put it in the river. I thought it'd like it there more than in that bag," Luffy grinned.

"It'd get eaten, you idiot!" Ace countered, knocking Luffy around the head yet again.

Sabo ignored the bickering pair as high pitched laugh caught his attention. He jerked to a sudden halt, causing Ace to bump into his back.

"Hey!" Ace growled and he shoved him lightly.

Sabo could feel the blood draining from his face as he spied a sickeningly familiar brunet just up ahead.

"Sa-mmm!"

The blond whirled around and slapped a hand over Luffy's mouth. He quickly ducked behind a stall, dragging Ace along behind him.

"What the hell, Sabo?" Ace grumbled, yanking his arm free in annoyance.

"That's Stelly!" Sabo hissed urgently, pulling his top hat down in a desperate bid to hide his face as the young noble's voice edged ever closer. The blond wasn't quick enough to grab either of his brothers before they peered around the stall's edge curiously. They jolted back sharply as the noble strolled past them, a small entourage of other young nobles following in his wake. Sabo suppressed a groan of despair before he ducked down as low as possible so as not to draw their attention while they stopped at the next stand.

"Do you think he saw you?" Ace asked, voice barely above a whisper and he shifted in order to shield Sabo from view.

"I don't know!" Sabo moaned.

No one dared say anything else for several tense minutes while Stelly and his companions idled around the next stall. Sabo was certain his heart could be heard a mile away at the rate it was pounding in his chest. He barely drew breath as he peered cautiously under Ace's arm. He couldn't imagine why Stelly was even there. As far as Sabo knew, he should have been having lessons as usual. Unless he snuck out from under Professor Binn's nose again, Sabo reasoned, which would explain the remarkably smug expression on his face. The alternative was that he had seen Sabo with Ace and Luffy, put two and two together, and was imagining all the ways in which he could blackmail the older noble.

"He's gone," said Ace, and Sabo could literally see the tension draining from his brother's shoulders. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Sabo couldn't agree more and the three made a break for the nearby alley.

"That was close," Luffy commented, far too cheerfully in Sabo's opinion.

"That wasn't just close!" he raged, surprising his brothers as he kicked the wall in frustration. "I can't believe I was that careless!"

"Sabo, it's fine, he didn't see us," Ace tried to reason.

"But he could have! Ace, don't you understand what'll happen if my father finds out I've been meeting you both?" Sabo demanded. He took a deep breath as he caught sight of Luffy's distraught face. The last thing Sabo wanted was to upset his brother, especially on his birthday, but he couldn't see any other option. "Maybe we shouldn't meet up any more."

The result was instantaneous. Luffy's small face crumpled in dismay and he shook his head, straw hat flapping wildly.

Sabo flinched as a fist impacted the brick wall next to his head. He forced himself to meet the very angry face of his best friend and brother. Ace's freckles stood out sharply where he had turned almost white with fury.

"Sabo," he barked, his voice quiet despite his rage. "You started living amongst the thugs and gangs in Gray Terminal when you were only five-years-old! We fought Porchemy when we were ten! If you can beat a fully grown pirate more than twice your age and strength, I think you're more than capable of beating a snot nosed little brat if he starts causing trouble," he reasoned and Sabo winced under Ace's steely gaze. "You are going to meet us next week and the week after that. And if you don't, I'll find out where you live and we'll come and visit you there, which I think you'll agree is much more risky than what we've just done," Ace finished with a smirk.

Sabo stared at him in disbelief. He shot Luffy a quick glance and was unsurprised to see him nodding his agreement with Ace's declaration. He closed his eyes with a groan and nodded shortly.

"Fine," he whispered, relaxing as Ace finally pulled away. "I'll be back next week."

"Promise?" Luffy encouraged.

Sabo returned the cheeky smile with a weak one of his own. "Promise."

"Admit it, you had fun today," said Ace as he went about uncovering the lead pipe he had hastily covered up before their little adventure.

"Yeah, I did," Sabo agreed, dropping an arm around Luffy's shoulders as he leaned into his side.

"Just remember," Ace warned him with a final glare. "We're not letting go so easily this time."

As Sabo trekked up the front steps leading to the front door of the house barely an hour later, he wasn't above admitting he was terrified; not for himself but for what could happen to Ace and Luffy if they'd truly been seen together. He paused on the threshold, waiting until the heavy door slammed shut behind him, half expecting his father to come barreling out of his study to haul him off to his room, where he would be locked away whilst a manhunt for his brothers was organised.

The blond gave himself a mental slap and he quickly made his way upstairs. He really needed to listen to Ace (which he acknowledged wasn't always the smartest thing to do) and believe in the confidence his brother had in him to deal with Stelly if the worst came to pass.

He sighed as the bell announcing the evening meal screeched in the hallway. Over the shrill din, he'd just registered the click of a door before a heavy weight thudded into his back. He looked back and blinked in confusion when he was met with empty space, before a flailing motion drew his attention downwards. Despite his worries, he smirked at the sight of Stelly trying to heave himself back to his feet after their collision.

"Watch where you're going," Stelly whined, rubbing his posterior.

"You watch where _you're_ going," Sabo countered. "You ran into me." He carefully observed the younger noble, but he couldn't detect any hint of the usual malice or victory the other often exhibited when he thought he had something to hold over Sabo. There was only the typical conceited superiority that emitted from all nobles present in his expression, and unless Stelly's acting had improved, it meant he was in the clear.

"What?" Stelly asked, bemused at the scrutiny.

Sabo shrugged, finally convinced Stelly hadn't seen him in town earlier. Stelly tutted in frustration before bodily pushing past Sabo and thundering down the stairs towards the dining room.

Sabo shook his head and rolled his eyes at the other's behaviour before continuing on to his room. They'd been lucky today, he mused throwing his coat and hat aside and collapsing face down into the fluffy mattress. But they would need to exercise a lot more caution in the future, as who knew how long that luck would hold out.

**xxx**

Sabo staggered when a heavy sack was tossed into his arms. He was surprised to note it was rather warm and lumpy. Puzzled, he looked to Ace for an explanation.

"It's for you," said Ace, a slightly bashful smile appearing on his face as he held Luffy back from jumping after the bag. "Hurry up and open it already. Do you realise how hard it was to keep Luffy away from it on the way here?" he added dryly.

Even more confused, Sabo slowly opened the sack and his nose was immediately assaulted by the delicious and achingly familiar scent of perfectly roasted crocodile meat. With his mouth watering for the first time in what felt like months, Sabo reached in and pulled out a lump of the precious meat.

"You kept saying how everything tasted gross the other day so we thought we'd bring you some proper food," Ace explained, struggling to keep ahold of a squirming Luffy.

"We brought the biggest one we could catch, just for Sabo!" Luffy proclaimed, although his eyes never left the still steaming morsel in Sabo's hands.

Sabo smiled broadly, touched at his brothers' thoughtfulness, and eagerly sank his teeth into the welcomed treat. He couldn't stop the moan of delight that escaped as his mouth exploded with taste. Chin and hands dripping with juices, Sabo reached into the bag and grasped two more lumps of meat. Only this time, he offered them to his brothers.

Luffy jumped on a piece immediately, tearing into it with abandon. Ace hesitated, a small frown appearing.

Sabo smiled and waved the food around under Ace's nose in invitation. "Food tastes better when it's shared, don't you think?" he promoted. Surprise flickered across Ace's face for several seconds before he slowly returned the grin.

As the surprise treat was swiftly shared around and soft, contented chatter echoed around the alley, Sabo couldn't help but think he had the two best brothers in the world.

**XXX**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to review!
> 
> Ok, onto some news. I decided to take a leaf out of the Strawhat's book and follow my dream so I'm moving to my absolute favourite place in the world! Chapter 3 is written and currently being beta'd so you will be getting a chapter in December but after that, you'll have to bear with me!


	3. Afloat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! They brought a little cheeriness to my otherwise insanely stressful days! Why the heck I decided moving just before Christmas was a good idea I'll never know. But I do now have a place to live and will therefore not be homeless! Phew! :D
> 
> Thank you as always to the wonderful Mithril-chan for beta'ing and keeping me sane! I would be seriously lost without you, nee-chan x

**XXX**

**Chapter 3 - Afloat**

**XXX**

Sabo hummed quietly to himself as he wound his way up the cobbled streets and back towards the house. For the first time in what felt like years, he finally felt full. His parents would no doubt be horrified if they could have seen him devouring wild animal meat like a commoner. Ace and Luffy's weekly treats of crocodile, bear, deer, wild boar, and even the occasional snake meat were a delight to look forward to and something he anticipated almost as much as the time he was able to spend with his brothers.

As always, as soon as the imposing whitewashed house came into view, Sabo hesitated for a single step before he mentally braced himself and pushed on. There was no use delaying his inevitable return. He'd only have to listen to a lecture if he was late.

"This is unacceptable!"

Sabo froze, his whole body tensing up as his father's voice echoed down the corridor from the study.

"To think this has been going on for so long! I've never been so disappointed. There will be consequences, I assure you."

Sabo drew in shaky breath, several scenarios racing through his brain. Had his meetings with Ace and Luffy been discovered? Had someone seen him in Edge Town when he should've been at the library? Had they gotten careless or complacent enough to be seen together?

Just as he was considering the best way to deal with the situation, a soft snicker caught his attention. He looked up and spotted Stelly peering down through the banister rails, a hand across his mouth to muffle his laughter.

The unexpected sight of Stelly practically rolling around on the carpeted floor was enough to shock Sabo out of his rising panic. He frowned, completely baffled at the noble's unusual behavior and his racing heart gradually returned to normal. He glanced back down the hallway but there were no servants running to usher him into his father's study, so Sabo took that as a sign that for once, the reason for his father's rage had nothing to do with him. And indeed, once the pounding of his heart had abated, he could hear a soft voice imploring Outlook to have sympathy.

Heaving a huge sigh of relief, Sabo crept across the hallway and up the stairs as stealthily as possible, making sure his booted feet made little to no sound on the plush carpet.

"Anything could have happened to my son!" Outlook suddenly roared. Sabo winced at the volume and finally reached Stelly, whose face was gradually reddening with mirth, shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"What's going on?" Sabo enquired softly, sitting himself down cross-legged next to the hysterical boy.

Stelly wiped his eyes before sitting up. "I joined Father at the office today," he smirked.

Sabo frowned. "And that's a problem?"

"It is when you consider the fact I should've been in lessons with Old Man Binns," Stelly chortled. "Father was so surprised when I walked through the door! You should have seen him. He's furious with Old Man Binns for 'neglecting his duties' is how I think he described it earlier," he explained.

Sabo stared at him in surprise. "You told Father that Binns has been falling asleep in your lessons?" he asked. Stelly nodded gleefully. "But you said that you liked him! He's going to get fired for that."

Stelly scoffed and waved a hand dismissively in Sabo's face.

The study door slamming open drew their attention and the pair peered through the banister; Stelly with eagerness and Sabo with trepidation.

"It's a shame it has come to this," Outlook barked briskly.

"I can only apologise again and beseech that you have some mercy and consideration for an old man," Professor Binns pleaded as he was ushered towards the door by a butler. Sabo almost couldn't bear to watch the elderly man beg for his job and most likely, his reputation, because Sabo wouldn't put it past his father to spread the news of the tutor's shortcomings. The man would be considered an embarrassment to associate with come morning.

Sabo could sense his father sneering distastefully as the Professor practically bowed before him in a final, desperate bid to change his decision. The blond knew it was a lost cause. Once made up, there was very little that would change Outlook's mind.

"Master Outlook, please, I need to work, I can't affo-"

Stelly sniggered loudly. Sabo glanced at him in dismay and quickly elbowed him in the ribs but it was too late. The sound had carried. Professor Binns' head jerked up and he stared at them in disbelief, clearly shocked and mortified to realise he had an audience. Outlook also turned his gaze upwards and smiled, as amused as his adopted son was by the man's current situation.

Sabo's shoulders slumped heavily as the plump figure of the tutor, his beefy round face bright red with embarrassment, spun and toddled his way across the entrance hall as fast as his legs could carry him.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, Outlook stomped back down to his study, yelling for Belinda and a glass of sherry immediately.

"Well that was entertaining, don't you agree?" Stelly chuckled and heaved himself to his feet.

Sabo continued to stare at the front door. "Do you always get what you want?" he murmured and although he already knew the answer, he turned expectantly to Stelly.

Stelly smirked down at him. "Of course, big brother," he said. "It's our right in life as nobles to get what we deserve." He whistled pleasantly as he slowly walked away.

Sabo could only watch him leave, the jaunty tune ringing mockingly in his ears.

**xxx**

"Is big brother still planning on going to the library this afternoon?"

Sabo resisted the urge to cringe when Stelly slowed his pace to walk next to him. He hated when Stelly called him that. They were not brothers, but Sabo didn't feel like incurring his father's wrath today by pointing that out so he forced himself not to retaliate. He couldn't wait to reach the office and part ways with the annoying brat.

Stelly wasn't deterred by Sabo's silence though and plowed on, a small sneer decorating his face. "Wouldn't you prefer to come to the office and receive a demonstration as to how much more fitting I am to take over the business than you?"

Sabo rolled his eyes. Stelly had done nothing but brag for the past week after Outlook had finally agreed that the boy could join him at the office. Sabo could normally handle Stelly pretty well, but an overly smug Stelly was unfortunately very hard to ignore.

Instead, he entertained himself by thinking of the various ways he could knock the self-righteous look right off of Stelly's face. He had already come up with fifteen by the time they arrived on the street which housed Outlook's office. As much as Sabo hated the place, he had to admit it had some lovely views of the ocean, with the street dropping down a small incline towards the main harbor. Presently, however, the view was hampered by a rather large group of people who were gathered around the front entrance of the building.

"What's going on?" Stelly asked, and Sabo was somewhat amused to hear a small note of hesitation in his voice.

"What are they doing?" Outlook growled from a few feet ahead of them. He slammed his walking cane into the ground, the metal end producing a sharp clang on the cobbles. "They're disrupting business."

"It's very unsightly too," Stelly added forlornly.

Sabo shook his head. "They obviously want something or they else wouldn't just stand around," he said, quickly taking note that the crowd wasn't made up of his father's usual business clientele. Instead, they looked like they were probably residents of Edge Town. They certainly weren't wearing the garb of the High Town nobles.

As they approached, Sabo could feel the tension radiating from the small throng. He sensed Stelly ducking behind him, attempting to use him as a shield when dozens of eyes flickered to them. It wasn't a very effective tactic however, considering that Stelly was nearly twice the width of Sabo and only managed to succeed in drawing more attention to them as it made for quite a bizarre sight.

"What is the meaning of all of this?" Outlook barked, stopping at the edge of the mass, clearly unwilling to come into physical contact with any of the commoners by pushing his way through to the front door. A couple of his office clerks broke through the crowd and rushed to their employer's side.

"Master Outlook," one greeted breathlessly, hastily tipping his already lopsided hat. "We have a small situation on our hands," he said.

"I can see that, you imbecile," Outlook glared at him impatiently. "Why are they here?"

"Well, you see Sir, they wanted-"

"Tell us where _The Anchor_ is!"

"-my husband was aboard-"

"-my son-"

"-you've got a cover up going-"

"-where is it? What's happened-"

"-storm in its path-"

Sabo was actually forced to take a step backward as a wall of people began bearing down on them. Questions were being thrown at them from all angles so quickly he could barely make out each individual voice. He could see his father's face growing steadily redder as the crowd pushed forward.

"For heaven's sake, go get the police to dispel this ruckus," Outlook snarled at one of the clerks, who hastened to carry out the order.

"Good people, please!" the second clerk yelled but his voice barely carried over the oppressive noise. "Please remain calm! There's been some misunderstanding! I can assure you that we've never had a ship called _The Anchor_ on our books!"

"Liar!"

"You do, my son's aboard!"

"Where's _The Anchor_ _?!_ "

Sabo felt a jolt of recognition run through him as the mass of people continued to surge closer, screaming and shouting for news. _The Anchor_ , he recalled absently as he dodged a flying elbow, had been mentioned in one of the files he'd looked at during his sole visit to the office. It had been late back from delivering a shipment weeks ago. No…months, Sabo realised, with growing horror. He had been meeting up with Ace and Luffy for nearly five months now, so the ship must have been missing for at least six.

As he was jostled painfully, another memory suddenly returned to him.

" _I don't care about that! I refuse to compensate for the men; it's worthless. We need replacement cargo immediately! This is a very valuable client who I refuse to lose due to your incompetence! Find me another and destroy the files we have, they'll only lead to confusion."_

Sabo stared at Outlook's back as the words reverberated in his ears. When he'd first overheard the conversation leaking out of the study, Sabo had simply thought someone had messed up somewhere and a shipment was late. He'd never dreamt that his father could actually arrange a cover-up of the loss of an entire ship. Numbly, Sabo realised Outlook had probably found a way to deal with the client's lost cargo as he hadn't heard his father complaining about any loss of revenue.

Sabo grimaced and stared at the desperate and pleading faces of the people surrounding him. They probably already knew the outcome. They now only wanted the truth of what had happened in order to move on. A truth they so very much deserved but would probably never hear. Outlook would never reveal what had happened to _The Anchor_ and its crew. To do so would mean he would have to compensate for the loss of life, and loss of life equated to loss of money in Outlook's eyes.

"Get me out of here," Stelly demanded when he was unceremoniously shoved by a hysterical young woman.

"Get yourself out," Sabo retorted and he tugged his arm free of the other's grip. He ducked under a couple of arms, one hand holding his top hat securely in place. As soon as he could, he made a dive for an open gap but he stumbled before he could pull free of the mob. He glanced back to see a gloved hand grasping the back of his coat tightly. Rolling his eyes, he reached back and grabbed Stelly's arm to tug him along since the other boy seemed determined not to be left behind.

By the time they were out, Stelly was wheezing pathetically and brushing delicately at his fine coat. "Disgusting," he groaned.

"Oh shut up!" Sabo snapped, fast losing his patience.

Stelly's already red face turned even redder but before he could respond a small voice piped up from around their elbows.

"Um, excuse me? Can you tell me where my big brother is?"

The two nobles glanced down and spotted a young boy, no older than seven, staring up at them hopefully. His small fingers were twisting nervously in his t-shirt. Sabo's heart clenched as he stared into teary brown eyes that keenly reminded him of a younger Luffy.

"What?" Stelly snarled in annoyance.

The young boy flinched but bravely met the young noble's hard gaze. "You look like you're important and Mama said important people can help us, so can you please help me find my big brother?" He reached into his trouser pockets and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He took a hesitant step forward but that was as far as he got.

Faster than Sabo had ever seen him move before, Stelly slapped the small hand encroaching on his person away, the force causing the small boy to stumble awkwardly and finally fall.

"Stelly!" Sabo shouted and rushed towards the dazed child, dropping onto one knee beside him.

"He shouldn't have tried to touch me," Stelly replied, staring down his nose at them. The glare Sabo leveled at him would've made Ace proud. Stelly stepped back fearfully. He quickly regained his composure though, and snorted with repulsion before swinging around and stomping off in the direction Sabo could hear Outlook shouting for them from. Sabo dismissed him instantly and instead turned his attention to the small boy, who was slowly sitting up.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, gently using the cuff of his shirt sleeve to dry the little boy's tear-streaked face.

"Big brother," the boy croaked, reaching for the battered piece of paper that had fallen from his hands. Sabo quickly snatched it up for him before it could be trodden on. As he returned it, he noted it was a dirty photograph of two boys. The youngest Sabo recognised as the child in front of him. The eldest he assumed was the brother he was looking for.

"Did you lose your big brother in the crowd?" Sabo asked kindly and he pulled the little boy back to his feet, carefully brushing him down.

The boy shook his head. "Mama said he was a on a boat."

Sabo froze. He stared in disbelief as the boy scrubbed his face tiredly, the picture pressed tightly to his heaving chest.

"Big brother isn't coming home, is he?" he asked, finally raising his face to look at Sabo, his bottom lip trembling.

The blond wasn't sure what to say. If it had been Luffy stood before him with such a troubled expression, Sabo wouldn't have hesitated to pull his brother into a warm hug, but Sabo could already feel the child physically withdrawing from him as the silence extended between them. He gave himself a mental shake as the boy took a couple of unsteady steps back, and Sabo let him go, despite the urge he had to comfort him in his grief. This wasn't Luffy, however much he reminded him of his little brother.

"I have to go home, Mama will be worried," the boy suddenly announced. He offered Sabo a watery smile. "Thank you for saving my picture," he added before he toddled off quietly.

Sabo was broken from his reverie by the shrill blast of a police whistle. He forced himself to his feet and numbly turned to continue his trek into Edge Town. He managed to keep his face a perfect mask of calmness until he entered the alley. Ace and Luffy hadn't arrived yet, something which he was surprisingly grateful for as he lost all strength in his limbs and fell against the wall. He slid down slowly until he was sat on his rump, his black coat a crumpled mess beneath him.

It was getting harder, Sabo noted dejectedly as he buried his face in his knees, curling in on himself tightly. Harder and harder to ignore the plights and cruelty all around.

Sabo could feel his entire body trembling, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop it. He was furious. Furious and outraged that so many people were being hurt, that lives were being destroyed, families ripped to pieces, all because a select few thought they deserved everything in life. He wanted to scream at the injustice but he kept his jaw clamped tightly shut.

Whilst he could hold in the screams, there was no way he could stop the hot tears that poured down his cheeks. He could taste the blood in his mouth as he forcefully bit his tongue in a desperate bid to stop the rage from forcing its way out.

Sabo had no idea how long he sat there, lost in a whirlwind of emotions and unable to rid himself of the image of the small boy asking for his brother.

He jolted in surprise when a small hand came to rest on his shoulder. He shuddered as he was shaken gently but he couldn't bring himself to raise his head. He didn't want either of his brothers to see him like this. He couldn't let them see how much pain he was in.

"Sabo?" Luffy called, his voice soft and confused. The blond felt his hat being lifted from his head and fingers tugging gently at his feathery hair. "Sabo, are you hurt?"

Sabo was unable to hold back a choked whimper. He couldn't remember the last time he didn't hurt. It hurt to watch the nobles trample on those beneath them. It hurt whenever his brothers left without him. It hurt that he couldn't return to their home in the trees. It hurt that his family was no longer a ragtag band of mountain bandits. It hurt to live without freedom.

"Sabo?" Luffy called again, and his prodding took on a new urgency. "Ace, help," he finally implored when the blond remained unresponsive.

A second pair of hands reached for him and Luffy's gentle prods gave way to Ace's forceful nudging. Unable to muster the energy to resist, Sabo finally allowed Ace to raise his head. A fresh wave of tears spilled uncontrollably down his pale cheeks as he met two pairs of very concerned gazes.

Luffy's forehead was creased with worry and he looked like he was ready to burst into tears himself. Ace's dark eyes quickly roamed Sabo, trying and failing to find a cause for his brother's pain. Sabo knew they wouldn't find anything and he wanted to keep it that way. They didn't need to know just how wretched Sabo's life in High Town was turning out to be. They'd only insist he leave, which wasn't an option.

"Sabo," said Ace, his fingers digging into his brother's shoulders.

Sabo shook his head, unable to bring himself to answer the unspoken question. Ace sighed and frowned unhappily, but thankfully made no effort to force him to talk.

Luffy reached out to gently wipe his brother's face, unconsciously mirroring Sabo's earlier actions. He then proceeded to push and pull at Sabo's knees until they uncurled before he carefully clambered into the blond's lap, his rubbery arms stretching to wrap tightly and securely around Sabo's waist. He dropped his head to rest snugly against one shoulder. Sabo closed his eyes and raised his arms to wrap around his little brother in return. The pair were jostled slightly as Ace huddled in close, his weight leaning heavily against Sabo's side.

It was warm, Sabo noted as his brother's heat slowly soaked into him. Finally, a small smile flickered across his face as their presence calmed his racing mind, and his taut body gradually relaxed. As if sensing his change of mood, Luffy beamed up at him. The unabashed cheer radiating from such an innocent smile chased away the final dredges of darkness clouding Sabo's thoughts. He returned the grin weakly, reminding himself he needed to be strong in order continue protecting his brothers. There was nothing more important.

Although little was said between them that afternoon, Sabo was under no illusion that from the way Ace stared at him when he thought Sabo wasn't looking, he heard the unspoken words threatening to burst from Sabo's burning throat.

" _I want to go home…"_

**xxx**

Ace and Luffy were late, Sabo noted as he absently paged through the worn book he had acquired at the library. He always made a conscious effort to read them in case anyone asked him any questions, and Ace and Luffy were often his enraptured audience if the book was an interesting adventure tale. Luffy in particular enjoyed the many voices Sabo would create and his small frame would regularly shake with the effort to keep his laughter silent.

Sabo smiled to himself, wondering if Luffy would appreciate the novel he was currently flipping through. It was apparently a very popular tale from North Blue and even Sabo was finding some of it intriguing as he studied the illustrations of a city of gold.

The blond raised his head, certain he'd heard the distant sound of clanging steel and curses in the distance. His stomach lurched slightly when he immediately recognised two of the voices as Ace and Luffy's. That didn't sound like their normal bickering and Sabo's fears were quickly confirmed as he heard more voices join his brothers'.

The book fell from his lap as he rose quickly and vaulted onto the top of the alley wall Ace and Luffy always appeared over. He looked around cautiously before dropping down and venturing further into the maze of back alleys. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going since he had never needed to cross over the wall before. A part of him had secretly wished that the first time he did cross the boundary, it would also be the last. Sabo shook his head at his foolish dreams before Luffy's aggravated shout had him taking a sharp right.

Sabo's growing anxiety diminished slightly as he perched himself atop another wall and assessed the situation. He easily spotted both of his brothers, stood back to back and facing down what looked to be a gang of Gray Terminal thugs who had slipped through the gate. No doubt they had been attempting to sell their findings when they had quite literally run into his brothers, if the spilled bag of broken china was anything to go by.

Sabo shook his head and silently watched the fists and taunts fly before a jerky motion from Ace caught his eye. He gave his brothers his full attention, surprised to see that while both were easily landing blows on their opponents, they looked to be very sluggish in their actions. Ace was dragging his feet slightly and Luffy wasn't throwing himself into the fight with his usual gusto.

Before Sabo could consider the situation further, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. From his higher vantage point, he was able to spy what his brothers could not, and he frowned darkly as he realised a thug had broken away from the pack and was now rushing his brothers from the side. Any other day, Ace and Luffy would have no doubt been able to dodge, but Sabo could tell they hadn't even registered the man now bearing down on them, his beady gaze fixed firmly on Luffy.

Sabo's eyes flashed dangerously.

Without hesitation, he jumped from the wall, black coat flaring behind him. He had no weapon but he had no need for one as he twisted mid-air. Sabo saw the moment the man spotted him, his eyes widening in alarm, but he had no time to dodge as Sabo's booted foot landed right in his face. The momentum carried the man across the alley and straight into the adjoining wall, a large cloud of dust rising from the impact.

Sabo landed easily, silence falling over the remaining occupants of the alley as they took in what had just happened. He smiled pleasantly even as the thug stumbled back to his feet and charged at him. He caught the man's wrist in a punishing grip when he took a wild swing with one brawny knife-wielding hand.

"Exactly what business do you have with my brothers?" he asked no one in particular, squeezing the wrist joint and bending the man's arm back until the knife clattered to the floor, accompanied by a grunt of pain.

"Sabo!" Luffy cried, flinging his arms out in excitement and unintentionally catching the man behind him in the groin as his pipe flailed about. Ace grinned wildly.

Sabo returned it as he felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins, awakening long disused muscles which were literally singing. It had been far too long since he'd been in a real fight. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like.

He gave the man still snared in his grip a hard kick to the chest that sent him sprawling backwards before cautiously moving to Ace's side, making sure to keep Luffy between them at all times. He could see the gang trying to piece together the connection between the two scruffy looking boys from the mountain and Sabo, in his much more expensive attire.

One of the more observant thugs stepped back hesitantly. "I didn't join on to get involved with a noble," he muttered darkly and he quickly disappeared into the shadows.

Ace smirked as the rest followed his example and skulked off until the three brothers were left standing in a battle-weary alley.

"You're late," Ace commented as he turned to Sabo and wiped his sweaty brow. "We've been fighting them for nearly ten minutes already."

"What can I say, I like to make an entrance," Sabo returned with a cheeky grin.

Luffy laughed loudly. "Hey, that reminds me of when we – whoa!" He stumbled as Ace abruptly pitched into his side, sending them both sprawling.

"Ace!" Sabo called in alarm, dropping to his knees beside his unconscious brother. He rolled his eyes, worry immediately dissipating when a loud snore echoed off the brick walls.

"Ouch!" Luffy whined and Sabo turned to see him picking pieces of china from his hands from where he'd landed in the thugs' discarded cargo.

"Are you okay?" Sabo asked quietly as he observed the large number of injuries littering his brothers. Ace had a nasty gash across one eyebrow and Luffy was surprisingly sporting a slightly blackened eye. Cuts, scrapes and even bite marks were nothing unusual but the heavy bandages they were currently covered in were clearly for more than just a reminder to Luffy to be careful of existing scrapes. "What in the world happened to the two of you this week?" he asked.

"Training with Gramps," Luffy muttered.

Sabo nodded in understanding. That would certainly explain the heavier than usual damage they'd incurred. He shuddered as he recalled the 'training' Garp had put them through the first time he'd met the marine.

He stared down at his unconscious brother for several seconds, blue eyes flickering to Luffy, who was certainly in no fit state to help carry him. He sighed before he made a grab for Ace's arm and heaved him up over his shoulder. He staggered for a moment as he fought for balance before gesturing for Luffy to lead the way to their usual spot.

"How long is Garp staying?" he asked with a small grunt as he jumped the wall, trying not to bash Ace's head against anything.

"He arrived yesterday afternoon," said Luffy, quickly rushing to help Sabo lower Ace to the ground. "He didn't stay very long, but he chased us through the forest all night. I didn't sleep at all," he moaned miserably, although the words were distorted slightly by the obnoxious yawn he released as if trying to prove his point.

Sabo smiled and patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I take it Garp's on his usual holiday then?"

Luffy shook his head, surprising the blond. "He said he was on a mystery recutment," he said.

Sabo frowned, trying to make sense of what Luffy had said. "Recutment?" he repeated. Luffy nodded and yawned again. Sabo shook his head fondly as he dismissed the idea of trying to guess what his brother actually meant. Luffy obviously hadn't been paying Garp any kind of attention yesterday so there was no point questioning him further. "Why don't you go to sleep?" he suggested when Luffy tried to stifle yet another yawn and failed miserably.

"But then I won't see Sabo," he muttered, tiredly rubbing his eyes. "Oh! We left Sabo's food behind!" he suddenly cried. Sabo caught his arm before he could go tearing out of the alley in search of it.

"Luffy, it doesn't matter," he said with an indulgent smile, gently pushing his brother down next to Ace. "Just go to sleep. I'll wait here until you both wake up, okay?"

Luffy was asleep in seconds, his light mumbling joining in with Ace's steady chorus of snores. Sabo sighed quietly before reaching for his abandoned book and settling down next to the two unconscious boys, chuckling as Luffy muttered about lost meat.

**xxx**

"Oh, crap."

Sabo jumped at Ace's voice, his concentration broken, flinching slightly when he jerked his head up. He reached a hand up to rub at his stiff neck and turned to see Ace pushing Luffy off his shoulder. The dark-haired teen scowled as he wiped a sticky patch of drool from his t-shirt.

"Wake up, Luffy, we overslept," said Ace, giving their little brother a swift shove and pulling himself to his feet.

Sabo blinked in surprise as he suddenly took note of the fading light in the alley. He glanced down at the open book in his lap and realised he could barely make out the words anymore. Even if he ran the whole way, he would definitely be late getting back. Sabo grimaced, an action that was caught by Ace.

"Are you going to be in trouble?" he asked in concern.

Sabo tried to smile casually. "I'm sure they'll let it go one time," he tried to reassure his brother. He obviously wasn't very successful judging from Ace's raised eyebrow as he stared down at the blond in disbelief.

Sabo shrugged weakly as Luffy bounded around them, already chattering away at all the things they needed to do next week since they'd lost a day. Sabo wasn't concerned about his brothers wasting their time together sleeping. They'd obviously needed it and they still had to get back through the forest and all the dangers it could throw their way. The thought of leaving them in the alley and trooping back to the house had never even crossed his mind as the afternoon had slowly drawn to a close. He'd had no intention of leaving them completely defenseless in such a cruel place.

"Seriously, Ace, I'll be fine," Sabo promised, but Ace continued to look at him with worry. "I'll think up some excuse on the way home. The worst they'll do is lock me in my room and that's hardly a punishment when it gets me away from Stelly," he tried to joke.

Ace snorted, relaxing, and Luffy burst into laughter.

"We'll see you next week," Ace said finally, patting Sabo's arm as he passed.

"Are you sure you can't come with us?" Luffy asked, wrapping Sabo up in a spine-crushing hug. Sabo smiled sadly as Luffy repeated the question he always asked at the end of their time together. Even though he couldn't give his brother the answer they both wanted, he wasn't looking forward to the day Luffy no longer bothered to ask.

"See you soon," he said, giving Luffy a small but firm shove towards where Ace was waiting with growing impatience.

Luffy pouted, his usual reaction, before gracing the blond with a blinding smile. "We'll make sure to bring extra meat next week since we forgot today," he promised.

Ace rolled his eyes. "Luffy, if we tried bringing any more than we already do, you'd have to carry a bag too and you'd probably eat it all before we could even give it to Sabo!"

"I would not! It's Sabo's food, I wouldn't eat it!"

"Yes you would! It wouldn't even last until the gate!"

"It would too!"

Sabo chuckled, listening to the pair's voices gradually growing fainter as they disappeared into the distance. He quickly packed up his book bag, conscious of the steadily growing gloom descending on the town as he exited the alley.

Despite what he'd told Ace, Sabo hoped his father was in a particularly good mood this evening or his lateness would surely be punished with more than just banishment to his room. He tried to suppress the shiver that raced through his body as he recalled one of the times he'd given a minder the slip just over a year ago. It had been one of the few instances Outlook had hit him with his cane and Sabo was in no way eager to repeat the experience.

With that memory in mind, Sabo hurried his pace and careened around a corner, only to be brought to a dead stop when he slammed into another person. His bag and hat went flying as he tumbled to the ground.

"Steady on!"

Sabo jumped in surprise as the familiar gruff tone washed over him. He looked up, and up, and up to the looming figure staring down at him with the same shock Sabo could feel spreading across his own face.

"Garp!" he cried.

The marine blinked once before a wide grin broke out across his face. He looked exactly as Sabo remembered him; still as large, loud and imposing as ever. Although he did have a significant amount of grey hair now, something he would no doubt blame on Ace and Luffy.

Garp chuckled heartily as he reached down to pluck Sabo from the ground, before neatly setting him back on his feet.

"Well, if it isn't the blond brat," he boomed, slapping a hand down onto Sabo's shoulder and nearly knocking him over again. "I never expected to see you here," he said. Sabo shifted self-consciously under Garp's penetrating gaze. "Ace and Luffy just said you went home but I never expected home to be _here,"_ he clarified.

Sabo snorted. "This place isn't home," he said very firmly as he retrieved his hat and jammed it back onto his head with more force than necessary.

Garp raised an inquisitive brow but thankfully made no comment.

"I need to keep going or I'll be really late," said Sabo, somewhat apologetically. The old man may have been crazy but he was a welcome sight in the midst of hell.

Garp gestured him on before falling easily into step beside the blond. "I'll escort you home," he said with a grin. Sabo shrugged, a little surprised but also happy to accept the unexpected company.

"What brings Marine Hero Garp to High Town, anyway?" asked Sabo.

Garp chuckled. "A lot of the second sons of noble families often find themselves at a loose end if they're not named heirs. Their education and natural leadership qualities make for good officers. And the navy is in need of some new blood. Blasted pirates are running all over the damn place," he grumbled.

Sabo laughed humourlessly. "Good luck," he said. "I'm not sure even the navy would want half the second sons wasting away here," he elaborated. The image of Stelly in a marine uniform, with the power to command lives, was as hilarious as it was terrifying.

"Well, the recruitment drive down in Edge Town wasn't as successful as we'd have hoped but there were a couple of promising young men," Garp said.

"Ah, that's what Luffy must've meant; recruitment," Sabo muttered with a fond smile.

Garp turned to him sharply. "Luffy? You're still seeing Ace and Luffy? Here in town?" Sabo hurriedly shushed him and mentally kicked himself for his slip of the tongue. He half expected a sharp reprimand for putting his brothers in such danger but Garp simply chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "I take it that no one is meant to know you're meeting your brothers?"

Sabo couldn't help but smile as Garp acknowledged their bond. "Yes. My father won't take too kindly to me associating with them again. Its pure luck that we can meet at all but if anyone finds out…" he trailed off quietly. He didn't need to elaborate to Garp exactly what would happen.

Garp sighed and Sabo detected a sad undercurrent. "You three are as reckless as ever," he muttered before a bright smile burst across his face. "But if Ace and Luffy can sneak into this place undetected, it'll be good training for them! They'll make amazing espionage marines!"

Sabo couldn't find it in him to mention that it was also good practice for pirate raids. He could only wince as Garp laughed loudly, his voice booming in the darkening streets and gaining the unwanted attention of the few nobles still returning home. Thankfully, Garp was wearing his marine uniform and therefore no one would dare say anything to him.

They hurried along the street in a comfortable silence for several minutes until Sabo felt a penetrating gaze boring into the top of his head. He glanced up at Garp from under the rim of his hat, very uncertain of what to make of the marine's rather bemused expression as he stared down at him.

"What?" Sabo finally asked, unable to stand the scrutiny any longer.

"Why are you here, brat? You can try to cover the truth with all the fancy clothes you want, but even I can tell you don't belong here anymore than I belong on the Moby Dick. So what made you come back?" Garp wondered as they drew to a stop just outside the familiar wrought iron gates of the family home.

Sabo briefly wondered what the Moby Dick was before he smiled sadly, dropping his gaze until his eyes were shrouded in shadows. "It was them or me," he whispered, biting back the burn of hot tears that threatened to fall at the reminder. "This is the choice I made," he added.

He heard a sharp intake of breath from above his head before a large, warm hand landed gently on his shoulder.

"You remind me of Luffy's father." Sabo's head shot up and he stared in disbelief at the old man smiling softly down at him. He hadn't even realised Luffy still had a father. "He's always doing the selfless thing, too. Even at the cost of raising Luffy himself." Garp squeezed Sabo's shoulder comfortingly before nudging him towards the gates. "Come on, let's get you inside."

Sabo allowed himself to be steered through the gates and up the entrance steps. He drew in a deep breath before pushing the front door open. The pair were immediately assaulted by a wall of noise.

"This is unacceptable. He's probably run off again!"

"You needn't concern yourself, Mother, Father. There's no need to waste time chasing big brother. He-"

"Sabo!" Outlook suddenly growled, catching sight of his son.

Stelly swung around immediately, his look of disbelief quickly dropping into a fierce scowl. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sabo! You're late! What have you been doing? You better not have been causing any trouble!" Outlook snarled and advanced on his son.

Sabo flinched as his father's cane met the marble floor with a rattling clatter with each step he took. He jumped as he was gently but firmly pushed to one side and Garp's formidable form appeared the light of entrance hall.

Outlook paused and Belinda gasped in alarm. Sabo could see his parents glancing between himself and Garp, their minds obviously racing with excuses for any misbehaviour he may have been caught doing.

"Good evening," Garp greeted, nodding his head respectfully to Outlook who looked a little alarmed as Garp grinned toothily at him. "I'm afraid I'm the reason your son is so late," he said. "We were running a local recruitment drive today and young Sabo here took an interest. Time got away from us. I do hope we didn't get him into too much trouble," he grinned. "Your son would make a wonderful marine."

Outlook appeared downright horrified at the very suggestion but shockingly held his tongue as he stared somewhat nervously at the imposing man currently inhabiting his front entrance.

Sabo glanced up at Garp, who winked at him inconspicuously, and he had to smother a laugh. He really couldn't wait to tell Ace and Luffy that their grandfather had come to his rescue. There was no way his father would punish him now in case word ever got back to Garp. The navy was meant to be a respectable second career choice after all.

"Well, I suppose it couldn't be helped," Outlook grunted, although he was eyeing Sabo suspiciously. "Thank you for making sure he got home safely," he said, and Sabo could see his teeth were gritted tightly from his effort to remain polite to someone who could probably throw him across town if he even so much as looked at him the wrong way.

"Not at all," Garp returned pleasantly. "I'll take my leave now. I need to return to my marines," he explained. Belinda looked ready to faint from the relief that she wouldn't have to entertain a marine in her home.

"Thank you," Sabo said gratefully, turning his back on his parents.

Garp patted his shoulder again. "Don't mention it. And I meant what I said, brat. You'd make a good marine."

Sabo slowly shook his head, a soft smile appearing on his face. The marines were at the beck and call of the World Government. A World Government that was ignoring the plights of the common man. He couldn't imagine working for them. Sabo couldn't even imagine being a pirate anymore. That dream was but a childish fancy now that he'd experienced the horrors the nobles were capable of. If he had the opportunity to step out into the world, he wanted to be someone who would make a difference.

A memory of a hooded figure cradling him, bandaging his wounds and listening to his passionate cries as smoke and heat rose above the city gates crept into his mind. That man had felt the same as him. He had smelt the rottenness of the country just as he had. Sabo wondered what that man was doing right now, and whether he had acquired the power he had spoken of. Sabo hoped so. Even if it was too late for him, he hoped that change was on the horizon.

"I think I'd make a better Revolutionary," Sabo finally whispered, raising his head to meet Garp's stunned gaze proudly.

The old marine gaped at him wordlessly for several seconds before a brief smile flickered across his face. "Yes. I imagine you would," he conceded. He dipped his head in acknowledgement to Outlook and Belinda, who were watching the conversation with undisguised curiosity, before turning and disappearing into the dense gloom. Sabo watched silently, ignoring his parents' persistent questions and Stelly's glare of disgust. Only when Garp's white coat had completely vanished did he turn to and allow the front door to swing shut with a resounding thud.

**XXX**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, reviews are appreciated.
> 
> I've no idea when I'm going to be able to update chapter 4. It is written and with Mithril but I'm pressed for time these days! You'll have to bear with me I'm afraid!


	4. Breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, the response was amazing! I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to everyone like I normally do but I've been insanely busy.
> 
> I'm now going to go duck for cover because if you guys thought the last chapter was sad, the response to this one is going to be interesting… Angst ahead folks!
> 
> Big shout of thanks to the ever wonderful Mithril for beta'ing for me xD

"Luffy! Get back here already!"

Ace and Sabo hurried forward to where Luffy was peering intently around the corner of the alley and out into the street, having taken advantage of their distraction while they chatted quietly to slip past them.

"Oi, someone'll see you," Ace growled, tugging Luffy back by the back of his t-shirt. It wasn't very effective, however, as Luffy merely allowed Ace to pull his body back whilst his head remained stationary. "Oh, knock it off already!" Ace huffed, giving one final, hard yank until Luffy's neck had no choice but to snap back into shape. He yelped in alarm but Ace had braced himself for the rebound and was able to catch him. Luffy shook his head, obviously a little dizzy.

"What in the world were you even looking at?" Sabo asked, smiling while Luffy pouted up at his brothers.

Luffy burst into his trademark grin and slammed his straw hat into place atop his head. "They're playing a game out there. It looks funny!" he exclaimed.

Sabo cautiously looked down the street and noticed a small group of children clustered around a bright red and white booth. He could hear a lot of rambunctious laughter, which was probably what had caught Luffy's attention in the first place.

"It's a Punch and Judy show," he clarified, ducking back into the protection of the shadows. He was met with two very blank expressions, causing him to sigh. "A puppet show," he clarified.

Ace scoffed. "Sounds stupid."

Sabo nodded. "They are a bit," he said, recalling the few times he'd seen them in the past. "They usually have Punch playing the part of the marine and he hunts down the pirates, who he hits with his club."

"It's still looks funny!" Luffy insisted, trying to discreetly edge around the older pair so he could have another look.

Ace frowned and caught his arm. "Stop it."

"But I wanna watch!" Luffy pouted, straining against Ace's grip.

"Sabo, tell him!" Ace grunted, trying valiantly to keep ahold of the rubbery limbs as they stretched under his grip.

"Luffy," said Sabo, his serious tone instantly catching the boy's attention. Luffy blinked up at him owlishly as he stepped forward. "If you promise to be very quiet and not draw any attention to yourself, you can go watch the show."

"Yay!" Luffy cheered.

"What?" Ace cried in disbelief. "He can't go out looking like that, he's a mess! Didn't you hear me say he fell in the damn creek this morning?"

Sabo shrugged out of his coat and quickly helped Luffy into it. He then removed Luffy's beloved straw hat before plopping his own top hat onto the mess of black hair. "You're going to be the one who'll have to listen to him whine the whole way home if we don't at least let him have a look. Do you really want that?" he asked, swiftly buttoning up the front of the jacket to hide the mud and dirt Luffy had collected.

"Thank you, Sabo!" Luffy grinned.

Ace's gaze rapidly flickered between Luffy and the small group of children across the stree before he gave a heavy sigh. "Stay on this side of the crowd, Luffy," he warned, before Luffy bounded off excitedly.

Sabo edged closer to the entrance and leant his back against the cool bricks where he would be able to keep an eye on Luffy. Ace stayed further back, content to let Sabo keep watch, although he kept a tight grip on his pipe, ready to act at the first sign of trouble.

"You okay? Did you bump your head or something? You keep rubbing it," Ace noted, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them. Sabo frowned as he realised he had indeed been absently rubbing his head. Ace tugged Sabo's hand away from his temple and gently felt around for a bump under the curly blond hair. Sabo quickly shook his head, dislodging Ace's hand but also causing a small flash of pain to reverberate around his skull.

"I'm fine, I just have a headache," he explained. There was no use lying; Ace had already caught his wince of discomfort. In all honesty, the headaches were more annoying than anything. They'd been gradually increasing in frequency and he was sure they were connected to the mass of tension he could feel lacing his neck and shoulders.

"What about you? You're jumpy today," Sabo observed idly, attempting to change the subject when he caught Ace tensing up as a couple of people walked past the alley. Although, as he watched his brother shuffle his feet, clearly uncomfortable, Sabo realised that Ace had been jumpy for a few weeks now. He never looked relaxed anymore. He was always on guard, and kept an even closer eye on Luffy than even Sabo.

Ace looked almost pensive as he crossed his arms protectively over his chest. "I don't know how you stand this place. It feels wrong," he said, surprising Sabo with his honesty.

"You mean wrong like it's hard to breathe?" Sabo mused after several minutes of thoughtful silence had passed between them. He wondered whether he even made sense to someone who didn't live in High Town but Ace nodded quickly. The blond wasn't surprised Ace was picking up on what he'd always felt. Whilst Ace had been venturing into Edge Town for years now, he had never spent more than a couple of hours at a time in one place. He hadn't stayed still long enough to sense the rot hidden underneath all the frills and fake laughter. Now he was spending hours at a time in the heart of the city. He could see, smell, and touch the darkness that was seeping from the very foundation of the city.

"Does it always feel this way?" Ace asked quietly.

"Always," Sabo confirmed sadly, turning back to watch Luffy, gently twirling the straw hat in his hands. He grinned as he watched his little brother clapping enthusiastically along with half a dozen other children watching the performance. He was so absorbed in watching Luffy enjoying himself that he almost missed Ace's next words.

"Sabo, come home."

He stopped breathing entirely, unsure if he had heard right as he slowly turned to Ace. "What?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Ace stared at him, a fierce look of resolve settling across his face. "You heard me," he said firmly. "Come home with us."

Sabo's jaw dropped in disbelief. He couldn't comprehend why Ace was asking him this now. Luffy always, without fail, ended their meetings together with a plea for him to leave with them. Ace had never asked, not once in eight months. Sabo had thought it was because he knew better than to waste his breath; he couldn't leave. His father wouldn't stand by and watch his son disappear again. Outlook would never risk someone finding out that his heir had run away from a life of privilege and wealth. It was only because he had been so young the first time he had run away that Outlook had been able to cover up his absence by claiming Sabo had been a weak and sickly child. But Sabo was now nearly fifteen and due to step into society soon, and with that came all the opportunities to move further up in the world through a royal marriage. No, Outlook would never let his trump card go. And they'd never be free of his wrath if Sabo dared to take such an action.

"Ace, you know -"

"I don't care!" Ace shouted, startling Sabo into silence. The blond watched his brother almost fearfully as he struggled to keep ahold of his temper. "I don't care," Ace repeated, head bowed and breathing heavily. "I don't care about any of it. I barely recognise you anymore," he whispered.

Sabo's heart clenched painfully tight. "Ace," he said, but that was as far as he got. He couldn't deny he was losing sight of who he was as well.

"You're skin and bone, Sabo," Ace choked and Sabo was shocked to see unshed tears of frustration building in his brother's grey eyes. "It doesn't matter how much food we bring for you, you still look as pale as ghost. You don't even look like you should be standing some days!"

Sabo shifted, suddenly extremely uncomfortable as Ace's heated words washed over him. He had thought he'd hidden his growing exhaustion but obviously not well enough. How could he admit to Ace that his brothers' well-meaning gesture of food had actually made it even harder for him to stomach the highly fatty and rich dinners his family had every evening? Ace would never forgive himself if he ever learnt he was doing more harm than good.

"I'm fine, Ace," he said, trying to smile reassuringly and failing miserably. He was scared to admit that each day took that much more effort to get through. The careful façade he'd worn for the past four years was beginning to crack.

Ace scowled deeply. "You're not fine at all!" he growled, reaching out to grab Sabo's shoulders and causing the blond to wince from the force. Luffy's straw hat drifted to floor as it slipped from Sabo's grip. "I thought when you left, you'd be better off, but you're not! I can't stand by and watch this place take any more from you, Sabo! Come home!" he implored.

"I can't!" Sabo cried, roughly yanking free of Ace's grip. He staggered slightly to find his footing, his head now pounding as adrenaline rushed through him. He drew in a couple of deep, ragged breaths to try and dispel the pain hammering in his temples. "You know I can't," he added, raising a hand to cover his eyes, bright dots flashing behind his closed lids.

Ace huffed in obvious frustration. "Look, Sabo, we'll deal with your father if he -"

"- he will-"

"- comes after us," Ace finished, ignoring Sabo's interruption.

"Ace," Sabo wearily dropped his hand. "It's hard enough with Luffy always asking me. Don't you start too. I can't leave. You know that, I know that. So will you please just let it go? You're not going to change my mind about this," he said quietly but firmly. Ace really had no idea what Outlook was truly capable of, and Sabo was eager to keep it that way. His brothers didn't need to concern themselves with the nobles.

Ace drew in a single, shaky breath before lunging forward. Sabo flinched away, half-expecting a swift punch to come flying at him, before frowning in confusion when Ace stomped past him to the very edge of the alley.

"Luffy!" he shouted, the obvious anger in his voice causing Sabo to close his eyes sadly. Their afternoon together was obviously over.

Luffy was in front of them in mere moments, instinctively knowing that when one of his brother's called his name in that tone, he should listen.

"Take that stupid jacket off, we're leaving," Ace growled.

"Aw, but it's still early!" Luffy pouted, but he did as he was told, obviously sensing Ace wasn't in the best of moods. Sabo swiftly picked up the straw hat sat innocently at his feet and accepted his now slightly rumpled jacket. Luffy tugged at his arm until he bowed, allowing Luffy to slip his top hat back into place with a grin and flourish. Sabo smiled in response before returning the straw hat to its rightful place atop his brother's head.

Sabo turned to see Ace watching them out the corner of his eye. He wanted to say something to quench the anger he could see rippling through Ace's frame, but he wasn't sure what words could make it better. He didn't want Ace leaving upset as he would only stew over their exchange, but as Ace flashed him another angry glare, Sabo decided he was best leaving his brother be for the present. He could always talk to him next week.

"Bye, Sabo," Luffy chirped, giving the blond a crushing hug, which Sabo readily returned. Luffy peered up him expectantly. "Are you sure you can't-"

"Luffy!"

Sabo breathed a sigh of relief at Ace's interruption. He honestly wasn't sure he would've been able to handle Luffy asking his customary question right then.

Luffy, on the other hand, frowned deeply, a small pout appearing on his face. He stared forlornly up at Ace, who scowled in return.

"Why's Ace so grumpy?" he asked, mirroring Ace's stance by crossing his arms defensively over his puffed up chest. "Your face is all red," he pointed out, staring up at him curiously.

Ace glared down at him, cheeks reddening further at Luffy's comment. "It is not, and I'm not grumpy," he tried to deny, although even the rather gullible Luffy didn't believe him if the wide-eyed stare was anything to go by. "Now hurry up or we're going to be late getting back."

"You _are_ red," the younger insisted. "And we're leaving early so how can we be late?" he asked, peering up at Sabo, who could see he was slightly confused by Ace's overly defensive behaviour.

"Just go already, Luffy!" Ace barked in annoyance.

Sabo felt like he should intervene as he silently watched Ace's temper flare. It was his fault Ace was in such a bad mood; Luffy shouldn't have to bear the brunt of their brother's anger. Before he could step forward to mediate, Luffy rolled his eyes at Ace's impatience and stepped towards the wall, completely brushing off Ace's irritation in a way he certainly wouldn't have done a few years ago. Sabo had to smile at how Luffy had obviously learnt to navigate Ace's more prickly moods.

"We'll see you next week, Sabo!" Luffy called as he disappeared over the wall, only to land with a small thud and a whine of displeasure.

Sabo snorted with amusement, then turned to Ace, who was preparing to leap the wall with much more grace than their little brother. "Take care of each other," he said.

"We always do. Not that you're around to see that," Ace snapped angrily. "And you know what?" he suddenly added, whirling around to prod Sabo hard in the chest. "I'm starting to think Bluejam was right about you."

Sabo frowned, completely thrown at the abruptness of the statement. "Bluejam?"

Ace nodded sharply. "Yeah. He told us you thought you were better than us, and your excuse of not leaving because of your family is running pretty thin, Sabo. You obviously don't want to go with us. But you know what? That's fine. We've managed pretty well so far without you. It's not like we need you around anyway."

Sabo couldn't help but flinch at the words, a deep ache settling in his chest, and he had to force himself not to take a step back in the face of Ace's fury. He felt like he'd been sucker punched, the colour quickly draining from his face. Sabo drew in a shaky breath, trying to stop the trembling that racked his body before Ace could see it. He understood Ace hadn't said those things out of malice, but out of pure frustration. It didn't make them hurt any less, though.

"I really just don't understand any of this anymore, Sabo," Ace continued on, unaware of how deeply his words had cut into his brother. "Why the hell do you insist on staying after everything they've done to you? It's not like I – we – I mean, Luffy and me are worth any of this," Ace hurriedly covered his slip with a distracted wave of his hand.

Sabo went completely still for a moment before he finally raised his head from where he had bowed it in an attempt to shield himself from Ace's words. His face was a picture of perfect calm, and the abrupt change in his demeanor was enough to cause Ace to halt his tirade.

"Yes, you are," he said. Ace's eyes widened in surprise at the declaration, and he took a step back as if Sabo had physically struck him. "You and Luffy are my brothers. If keeping you safe means I can't be with you, then that's what I'll do," he said. He smiled softly, hoping Ace realised exactly how much he and Luffy meant to him. Their brotherhood was his treasure and he would protect it well. "You won't change my mind, Ace," he finished, voice barely above a whisper.

"Ace!" Luffy's call cut through the sudden stillness of the alley as the two older brothers stared each other down. "Ace?"

The dark-haired youth's gazed flickered to the wall separating them from their little brother. He opened his mouth a few times but no words came out as he turned back to Sabo. The sharp, red tinge of anger had disappeared from Ace's cheeks, leaving behind a pale face that continued to stare at him in complete disbelief.

"Luffy's calling for you," Sabo whispered unnecessarily, the soft smile never slipping from his face. "You'd better go before he lands himself in some trouble," he added, pleased that his voice remained steady.

Ace hesitated for a single moment before following after Luffy, although Sabo didn't miss the uncertain glance he threw over his shoulder before he too vanished from sight.

As soon as he was certain the pair was gone, he collapsed to knees, drawing in deep, ragged lungful's of air as he struggled to hold back the burning tears. With his head bowed and gloved hands digging into his thighs painfully, he felt as if the weight of the world had just settled on his shoulders.

It was a long time before he was able to gather the strength to rise again.

**xxx**

Sabo stifled a sigh as another group of young women waltzed past him in a storm of perfume, giggles, and fluttering fans. The youngest was desperately trying to keep up with her elders, struggling not to trip up on anyone's fancy dresses and risk causing a scene. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes when one of the older girls, whom he recognised from a previous social gathering, winked boldly at him.

"Big brother is popular this evening," Stelly muttered, appearing out of nowhere to lean almost casually against the wall Sabo was huddled against. "She must believe you're handsome. Although I can't understand why," he added as the young woman was nudged and teased by one of her peers.

"Shut up, Stelly," Sabo muttered, wincing when the musicians in the far corner struck up another boisterous tune. His ears were ringing and his head was throbbing, as they had been for the past couple of days since his argument with Ace. The last thing he wanted this evening was to hear Stelly's needless yapping right in his ear.

Sabo tried to shift away from the other boy but Stelly simply smirked, knowing Sabo wouldn't venture too far as he'd found a relatively secluded corner. And whilst he still had to deal with the overly loud music and twittering girls, he was at least out from the under the stern gaze of their father who was happily playing Roulettes in the drawing room upstairs. 'Children' weren't permitted upstairs at such gatherings so as not to disturb the adults whilst they were socialising. From the little Sabo had managed to overhear the one time he had dared to sneak past the security guards, Roulette was code for 'drink a lot, smoke a lot and talk of scams and crooked business deals'.

Unfortunately, with his father occupied, there was very little Sabo could do to get rid of Stelly if he grew bored of his usual companions or they weren't in attendance, the latter of which seemed to be the case.

He couldn't even remember what today's gathering was in aid of. It could've been a birthday, an engagement, a coming of age, hell even a wedding reception for all he knew. Every event looked the same, sounded the same and smelt the same. Rotten to the core, he summarised as he rubbed his temples carefully, hoping to elevate the spasms of pain rushing through his head.

Sabo's stomach rolled unpleasantly as a waiter drifted past with a steaming plate of entremets, the smell mixing terribly with the heavy perfumes and scented candles wafting from the main body of the room. He swallowed hard, trying to fight against a wave of sickness that threatened to make itself known. He desperately needed some fresh air.

"You're looking a little paler than normal over there," Stelly suddenly commented, a small frown appearing on his face. "Did something not agree with you at dinner?"

Sabo ignored him in favour of glancing around the tightly packed ballroom in search of the quickest way out, slightly afraid if he opened his mouth he wouldn't be able to hold back the tirade of things he could say didn't agree with him. Or the bile he could feel rising in the back of his throat. His head gave another painful throb as the music hit a crescendo, and he could feel his hands shaking where he clutched at his glass of punch.

Sabo barely heard Stelly calling after him as he made his way towards the exit of the ballroom. He was bumped and jostled as he forcefully pushed his way through the crowds, but despite his sudden lack of coordination, he managed to reach the far side of the room without too much incident. He breathed in deeply when he finally reached the corridor, the solid doors slamming shut behind him and leaving him in a blissfully cool and dimly lit corridor. The music was thankfully nowhere near as loud as he fell against the wall, panting heavily as if he'd just gone three rounds with Tiger Lord. He didn't care that he would probably be yelled at for slouching if his father walked down the staircase and spotted him, fighting back a grimace as he wiped his sweaty forehead. He barely needed to touch to know his skin was sweaty and flushed with fever.

He tugged at his collar, trying to loosen it enough so it no longer felt like it was choking him, then glanced around for a servant to catch. He would ask one of them to pass a message to his father explaining he had returned home early, unwell. Outlook wouldn't be at all happy, but right then and there all Sabo wanted was a flat surface to lay down on.

One that didn't spin, he noted somewhat bemusedly as he stared down at the intricately tiled hallway. The muted blues, reds, and yellows were blending into a swirl of colour that had him closing his eyes in a failed attempt to make the world stop moving.

"Honestly! What is with you today?"

Sabo flinched as Stelly's shrill voice cut through the stillness of the corridor.

"I know you detest these things, but really! You should do well to remember we're here representing the family and we need to look our best. Which means no running from ballrooms like a crazy person! Why Father insists on…Oi…what's wrong with you?"

Sabo couldn't answer. His vision swam unnervingly, and the glass of punch slipped from his trembling hand down onto the pristine tiles with a delicate tinkling as it shattered. He felt his knees hit the floor a second later, his upper body curling in on itself as he collapsed.

"Hey! What….doing…You! Go get…ill…."

Sabo blearily noted that the tiles under his cheek were wonderfully cool against his warm face before the blackness seeped into his vision and he knew no more.

**xxx**

When Sabo finally surfaced from the inky darkness, it was with the awareness that he was being pushed and pulled in numerous directions. He groaned weakly and tried to bat away the hands tugging insistently at him before he was set down on a soft surface. He forced his eyes open, only to slam them shut again with a whimper as the bright light of the room burned colourful spots into his vision.

"Could you please turn off the lights? I believe they're causing him pain. Thank you. Now, Master Sabo? Could you try opening your eyes again for me?"

Sabo wanted to shake his head; wanted to remain in the blissful darkness that surrounded him, but the very thought of moving his head made him dizzy. Unfortunately he was unable to find his voice in order to refuse the persistent requests and so very unwillingly he cracked open one blue eye.

He blinked weakly, trying to get his eyes to focus on the pink blob swimming above him. As his vision cleared, the weathered face of the family physician solidified. He was staring down at him patiently, waiting for Sabo to adjust to his surroundings, which was more than could be said for Outlook, who Sabo spied out the corner of one watery eye pacing his son's bedroom like a restless lion.

"Do you know where you are?" the physician, Doctor Hart enquired softly.

"Of course he knows!" Outlook growled. "And I hope he knows what a complete embarrassment he made me out to be! Outrageous! Having to have him carried out of there like a drunkard!" Sabo flinched at the loud outburst, the sudden sound causing a burst of pain to erupt in his head.

"Master Outlook, if you could please lower your voice for the time being, thank you," Doctor Hart ordered. Outlook bristled ever so slightly at the instruction but mercifully did as he was asked. "Now, Master Sabo, could you tell me what hurts?"

"…head…stomach," Sabo managed to whisper, forcing the words out of his dry throat before a harsh coughing fit burst from deep within his chest. The abruptness of the action caused a wave of dizziness to overtake him despite the fact that he was lying flat on his back on the downy mattress of his bed.

"Okay," the doctor soothed, disappearing from sight for several moments.

In his absence, Outlook pressed closer to bed and glared down at his son. Sabo barely restrained himself from closing his eyes in order to banish the sight of disappointment he could see written all over Outlook's face. Instead he forced himself to meet his father's harsh and unforgiving gaze.

"You have pulled some ridiculous stunts over the years, Sabo, but I never thought you would get yourself drunk," Outlook hissed, and whilst his voice was by no means quiet, it was certainly more bearable than the previous tirade.

"Didn't drink," Sabo managed to protest weakly. Outlook's face blossomed a startling shade of red in response to Sabo's backtalk but he was thankfully interrupted by Doctor Hart's return.

"I can assure you Master Outlook, young Sabo here is not in fact hungover as you seem to suspect," said the physician, gently brushing Sabo's soft blond curls aside and pressing a cool compress to his forehead.

"What makes you so certain? I wouldn't put it past him," Outlook sneered distastefully.

Doctor Hart huffed slightly, no doubt in annoyance at his medical expertise being questioned, but he was otherwise forced to remain professional, as was required of a man of his station when facing a self-righteous noble.

"Sir, there is no trace of alcohol on your son's breath. Your other son, Stelly, also attested to the fact Sabo has consumed nothing but fruit punch all evening."

From behind the half-closed bedroom door, there was a small squeak of surprise from Stelly who was evidently eavesdropping shamelessly. Outlook frowned but made no rebuke to the doctor's claim, because to do so would've meant calling Stelly a liar and there was no way Outlook would believe or endorse such an idea.

"What the hell is wrong with him then?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Well, his heart rate is a little weaker than it should be, which no doubt contributed to his passing out. He also appears to have a fever, which may be causing the headache and stomach pains," Doctor Hart summarised easily.

"Why didn't you say something before we left the house, you stupid child," Outlook huffed. "I can't have you contaminating everyone you come into contact with; we'll never live it down."

If he'd had the energy, Sabo would've rolled his eyes, because of _course_ his father was only concerned about his precious reputation and not the fact that his son was quite clearly rather ill. He tried to muffle his next bout of coughing as Outlook flashed him another infuriated glare, obviously perceiving it as excess noise.

Doctor Hart laid a placating hand on Outlook's arm. "I suggest it would be best to let Master Sabo rest for the time being. If possible, it would be a good idea to cancel any lessons he has over the next couple of days in order to give him time to fully recover," he suggested.

Outlook shook his head. "Out of the question. I pay good money for those tutors. He can damn well attend."

Doctor Hart sighed somewhat despairingly as Outlook stormed from the room, nearly knocking aside Stelly, who was still hovering in the hallway. He turned back to Sabo who stare up at him weakly, his face red and sweaty from the fever beginning to burn through his body.

"Right, let me see about getting you some pain relief for that headache and then maybe see about some broth or soup from the kitchens. Don't you worry, Master Sabo," the doctor smiled reassuringly as he carefully plumped up the pillows and arranged the bed sheets over him. "We'll have you fit and well again in no time."

**xxx**

Three days later, Sabo was still stuck in the confines of his room. He had tried attending lessons with his tutor at Outlook's insistence, but upon attempting to leave the quiet of his bedroom, he had found his senses assaulted with too many overpowering noises and lights for him to cope with. The pain in his head had spiked, and nothing Doctor Hart had given him had offered any respite. If anything, they'd just made him feel groggier than ever.

He had spent more hours sleeping than he ever recalled before as the fever ravaged his body. He had even slept through one of Outlook's rages when the man had stormed into his bedroom upon learning he was still unfit to attend lessons, according to a rather amused Stelly. The younger boy had snuck into Sabo's room earlier that day despite their mother's concerns about Sabo's illness being contagious.

It was on the fourth day of bedrest that Sabo managed to rouse himself from his lethargic state enough to realise there was a thought niggling at the back of his brain. There was something important he needed to do, but for the life of him he couldn't recall what it was. He shifted uncomfortably around in the bed sheets, his nightshirt sticking unpleasantly to his skin from his body's effort to sweat out the fever. As he rolled over to escape the harsh afternoon sun streaming in through the open curtains, he caught sight of the grandfather clock in the corner of his room. Normally, its ticking was a rather soothing sound to the blond, but today it simply taunted him.

He stared mindlessly at the clock, silently watching the pendulum swing back and forth. He was just beginning to drift off again, unconsciousness tugging at him leisurely, when the hands struck the hour. He jumped as the tinkling chime echoed around the bedroom. His blue eyes forced themselves back open to refocus on the clock face.

Three o'clock, he noted. His father was going to be furious he'd lost yet another day of lessons. Although, Sabo realised sleepily, it was Tuesday. There were no lessons Tuesdays. Instead, he met his brothers.

Sabo physically jerked as the fog clouding his mind cleared. It was Tuesday. It was Tuesday afternoon, he thought, horror quickly rising up and almost suffocating him. He was meant to have met Ace and Luffy over an hour ago.

Coughing briskly, Sabo forced himself to sit up and shove the blankets off. As soon as the cool air hit his sweaty skin, he broke out into violent shivers. He paid them no heed, however, managing to swing his legs out of bed, thankful the floor was carpeted rather than just bare floorboards. Getting to his feet took several attempts. He'd underestimated just how dizzy he was and nearly keeled over a few times until he was able to catch his rather unsteady footing. Rather shakily, he made his way across the room, using his writing desk and wooden window seat as aids.

He didn't recall his room ever being so big before, he thought as he panted heavily, trying to catch his breath without coughing again and risking drawing attention to himself. He had no idea how long he'd been left unattended but he certainly wouldn't be for much longer. He vaguely recalled Doctor Hart had been checking up on him frequently day and night, which Sabo could only think meant Outlook had permitted the physician to remain at the house in order to speed up Sabo's recovery.

As he caught sight of himself in the full length mirror next to the wardrobe, Sabo acknowledged that he looked horrific. His skin was pale and clammy with beads of sweat trickling down his neck, causing his blond hair to stick to him in clumps, and his eyes were bright and unfocused. Ace and Luffy would take one look at him and demand he turn right around and go back to bed if he turned up. If he could even get that far, Sabo thought breathlessly, leaning heavily against the dresser with trembling arms. It would be a miracle if he reached Edge Town in the state he was in but he couldn't _not_ go.

He knew Ace well enough to know he'd probably been dwelling on what he'd said as they'd departed last week. Sabo couldn't have Ace thinking that he'd held his words against him. Because he didn't. He had only spoken the truth. Sabo wasn't able to be there for his brothers, to help keep Luffy in line during training and to make sure they were both eating properly. Because as much as both his dark-haired brothers enjoyed meat, they _did_ need to eat other foods.

He had to admit, it was a wonder they hadn't given up on him already. The risks they were taking far outweighed the reward of a few hours a week in each other's company.

His mind set, Sabo had just managed to pry open the wardrobe when a sharp exclamation from the doorway had him spinning around, only to nearly fall as a wave of vertigo overwhelmed him.

"Master Sabo! What are you doing out bed?" Doctor Hart quickly crossed the room and with firm hands began ushering the blond back into bed. Sabo tried to struggle free but was rather dismayed to discover his limbs refused to listen to him and he could only let himself be guided forcefully back down onto the mattress. "You're still far too unwell to be walking around. Your fever is only just beginning to recede. We can't have you undoing all my hard work. If you need something, you need only call for assistance," the doctor reprimanded.

"No, I need…to see," Sabo panted weakly as he once again tried to free himself from the numerous blankets that Doctor Hart kept piling up on him. He glanced across the room to the open wardrobe where his clothes hung, taunting him to reach them. He half felt like crying when he caught sight of the clock and realised it had taken him nearly twenty minutes just to walk across his room. There was no way he was going to be able to get to Edge Town in time.

"See what, Master Sabo? What do you need?" Doctor Hart asked kindly. Sabo was dismayed to realise he couldn't escape the man's clutches. Just raising his head caused small stabs of pain to jolt around his skull.

"Brothers," Sabo whimpered weakly, flinging an arm over his eyes in an effort to escape the harsh sunlight entering the bedroom. "Meant…to…see brother," he tried to explain as the fog once again began to descend over his mind and his body melted into the sheets, limbs completely useless.

"Ah, don't worry, I shall find your brother," Doctor Hart said, before his presence vanished from his side.

Sabo felt a rush of relief for half a second before realising Doctor Hart didn't know where to find his brothers. He hadn't told him, he thought, as he began to drift sleepily.

"-sit with him for a while. I understand you're a very busy young man but he's been asking for you. He even attempted to find you himself, can you imagine? You must be very close."

"Hardly. And I don't believe he was asking for me."

"Who could he have been asking for, then? I don't believe you have any other siblings?"

"Hm."

"Ah, he appears to be resting again. Good. You need only stay a short while, Master Stelly. I know you must have things to attend to."

"Just leave us already."

"Certainly."

There was silence in the room again, only broken by the occasional twitter of the birds from outside.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? I hope you realise that you're hampering my efforts to get rid of you by showing Father how much better I am. You're taking up far too much of his attention."

Sabo cracked open one eye and stared at the blurry image of Stelly, who was slouched miserably in a chair next to the bed.

Stelly frowned at him when he spotted he was being watched. "No one needs you here, you know that?" he grumbled.

Sabo couldn't stop the burst of laughter that escaped him. It hurt his chest and caused him to cough weakly but he couldn't help himself. Stelly stared at him, clearly not expecting such a reaction.

" _It's not like we need you around anyway…"_

"So I'm told," Sabo croaked, before gingerly turning over and burying his face in his pillow, unwilling to let Stelly see the tears rolling silently down his face.

**xxx**

"Ace," a petulant voice whined, "where's Sabo already?

There was a pregnant pause before a soft exhale. "…I don't know, Luffy…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Entremets is a light dish served between two courses of a formal meal in case anyone was curious :D
> 
> Please remember to review!


	5. Loss of Oneself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone heard screaming yesterday, it was just me opening my care package from Mithril and Aynslesa :D I am now the proud owner of a Sabo t-shirt!!!! I love them to pieces and this chapter is dedicated to the pair of them xD 
> 
> And an extra special thanks to Mithril for once again beta’ing and generally putting up with me :D 
> 
> And thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Sorry I haven’t had time to reply to everyone individually but I’m finally settled into my new flat and am learning the ropes at my new job so things should be able to return to normal soon hopefully.

The first week Sabo hadn’t met with them as per their arrangement, Ace had to admit he had been a little relieved. That thought had filled him with guilt as he’d waited nervously for the blond to appear whilst also trying to keep Luffy distracted from the fact that their brother was late.

 

He had never felt more ashamed of himself for having thrown such crap and nonsense at his brother. Crap that he hadn’t believed for one second, even before Sabo had validated his reasons for staying. Ace knew Sabo cared for himself and Luffy more than anyone. He knew because he felt the exact same way. He would do anything he could to help his brothers and the fact that one was practically wasting away before his eyes while he could only stand by and watch hadn’t sat well with him at all. He’d thought Sabo would have jumped at the chance to leave with them despite having never taken Luffy up on his numerous attempts to coax him home with them, but Sabo hadn’t, and Ace had finally let his temper and frustrations boil over.

 

Deep down he knew if Sabo had been the one to spew the words he had thrown at the blond, he would have been devastated and probably done anything he could to avoid seeing him for a while.

Which was exactly what Ace thought Sabo had done the first week. Until he had remembered that this was _Sabo,_ and no matter how much he might’ve held a grudge against Ace, he would never purposely avoid Luffy. He was a much better person than Ace was. Sabo would stomach seeing him if it meant keeping Luffy happy.

 

The realisation had left Ace recalling the brief look of anguish on Sabo’s face before it had been quickly covered with a fake smile - a trick he had no doubt picked up from living in High Town, where fake and finery were all the rage. Ace’s stomach had rolled at the thought of Sabo feeling the need to use such a look with him. Its appearance on his brother’s face had confused him enough that he hadn’t needed much cajoling to follow after Luffy. It had only been halfway back to the mountain and after his temper had completely cooled that he’d recalled the exact words he’d tossed at Sabo.

 

_“It’s not like we need you around anyway…”_

The impact of what he’d done had intensified the sick feeling in his stomach, and he’d wondered how in the world he was meant to face his brother after saying such a rotten and false thing. He knew better than anyone how deeply words could hurt and yet he’d gone and done it himself, after _promising_ himself he never would. He’d sincerely hoped that he hadn’t hurt Sabo irreparably, and had vowed that no matter how hard it was to get the words out, he would apologise. Sabo deserved that much.

 

When Sabo didn’t appear for the second week running, Ace was annoyed. His heavily rehearsed apology had flown from his mind as he’d thought of the dozen or so ways he could punish Sabo for disappearing on them. He’d known he needed to make things right between them but he couldn’t damn well do that if the blond bastard didn’t show up at all.

 

Luffy had been a nightmare to deal with that day too. He’d kept reeling off the amount of days, hours and minutes it had been since they’d last seen their blond brother. Ace hadn’t been too certain of how accurate Luffy’s counting had been but the numbers were high enough that Ace hadn’t appreciated the reminder. Luffy had also insisted that week that they definitely needed to double the amount of meat they brought with them as Sabo had missed out the week before. It had been a pain to haul the two sacks up through the mountain and trash heaps, and it had been even more annoying trying to stop Luffy from sampling them. By the end of the day, as the shadows stretched ever longer, Ace had finally given in and let Luffy have them. It had been obvious by that point that Sabo wasn’t going to appear, and he hadn’t felt like carrying everything back to the mountains.

 

Ace had sneaked a bite himself before Luffy could devour the lot, but instead of comforting him as food usually did, it only served to remind him that there had been someone missing from their side.

 

_“Food tastes better when it’s shared, don’t you think?”_

Ace had left the alley that week furious, both at himself and Sabo as he’d tried to weather the storm that was Luffy’s frustration.

 

It was now the third week and Sabo had yet to show up again. Ace had to admit to what he could no longer deny; he was worried. It was so uncharacteristic of Sabo not to send them some sort of message, even if it was only to reassure Luffy he would be able to see them soon, and yet they had received nothing.

 

Luffy was worrying him too, Ace acknowledged, glancing down to look at the younger boy, who was sat in Sabo’s usual spot in the disused doorway. His small body was angled towards the end of the alley and he was staring unflinchingly at the corner, as if he expected Sabo to appear around the bend wearing his usual crooked grin and top hat.

 

Their usual sack of meat was at Luffy’s feet but the dark-haired youth had made no attempt to steal from it, instead choosing to ignore its presence in favour of his adopted vigilance. Luffy had barely said a word all afternoon and Ace was honestly a little surprised he’d managed to remain so still and silent for so long. It was unnatural to say the least.

 

Ace sighed wearily at the rather despondent aura his little brother was projecting and slowly let himself slide down the brick wall. His t-shirt snagged on a few loose bits of mortar until he hit the ground with a small thump, the only sound that had been made in the alley since their arrival nearly four hours ago.

 

“Ace.”

 

The youth jumped slightly when Luffy’s abnormally grave voice penetrated the stifling silence.

 

“What?” Ace asked, surprised when his voice came out croaky from disuse.

 

Luffy finally moved, turning to his brother with dark eyes full of unshed tears. Whether they were of frustration or sadness, Ace wasn’t quite sure.

 

“Sabo isn’t coming, is he?” Luffy whispered, quickly swiping a hand over his eyes before any tears could fall down his rosy cheeks.

 

“It doesn’t look like it,” Ace admitted, casting a quick look skyward to see the fluffy clouds now had a small pink blemish, a sign the sun was fast beginning to set. They would need to leave soon, Ace realised with a heavy heart. And there was still no sign of Sabo.

 

He looked back at Luffy at the sound of a loud sniffle and found him staring unerringly back at him, dark onyx eyes boring into Ace’s own.

 

“Do you think Sabo forgot about us?” Luffy wondered, worriedly biting his lower lip.

 

“He didn’t forget us, Luffy,” Ace said, and his chest tightened at the pleading look his little brother kept giving him, like he expected Ace to be able to pull Sabo out of thin air and make everything right again. Except Ace had a horrible sinking feeling it had all gone wrong because of him. Why else would Sabo have left them without a word?

 

“It, um, it might be my fault...that Sabo’s not here,” he finally admitted, dropping his gaze, unable to look at Luffy as he made his confession. He had already hurt one brother; he absolutely refused to allow the _other_ to believe Sabo’s absence had anything to do with _him._

 

“What do you mean?” Luffy asked, obviously puzzled. “How is it Ace’s fault?”

 

Ace could clearly picture the look of complete bafflement Luffy had no doubt adopted, but he still couldn’t bring himself to raise his head. Luffy was going to be so cross with him, he just knew it.

 

“Ace?” Luffy called again, breaking into his thoughts.

 

Ace drew in a shaky breath, gaze fixed steadfastly on Luffy’s sandals, which had just appeared in his vision as his brother approached his seated form curiously.

 

“We had a fight the last time we saw him,” he said, throat tight as his hurtful words and Sabo’s distraught face came to mind. “Or, maybe not a fight, more like a disagreement. I pushed him too hard to come back with us. I know he can’t, he’s staying here to make sure we’re safe,” Ace spilled out in a rush. “But I still got mad when he said he wouldn’t. I…I might have said something that I didn’t mean.”

 

“What did you say?” Luffy asked, dropping down onto his haunches and trying to peer at Ace’s face. Ace kept his head bowed, only offering Luffy a view of his untidy black bangs.

 

“I said…I said, it’s not like we need him around anyway…” Ace trailed off and closed his eyes, half expecting Luffy to start shouting at him for driving Sabo away. But his little brother surprised him yet again.

 

“Well, of course we don’t _need_ Sabo,” said Luffy, laughing quietly.

 

Ace’s head snapped up so fast he was sure he felt something crack. He stared at Luffy who was grinning, obviously a little confused with Ace’s dejection, but surprisingly cheerful considering what he’d just revealed.

 

“What?” Ace choked, eyes wide with shock.

 

“We don’t need Sabo,” Luffy repeated, his grin widening. “Just like Sabo doesn’t _need_ me and you.”

 

Ace was sure he’d stopped breathing. Was this what Sabo had felt when Ace had thrown his careless words his way? Because if it was, it was like a kick in the gut. He couldn’t understand how Luffy could think they didn’t need each other.

 

Luffy laughed and plopped himself down cross-legged in front of his dazed brother.

 

“We don’t need each other, Ace,” Luffy explained. “We chose to be brothers because we _wanted_ to, not because we needed to. And it feels better when we’re all together, doesn’t it?” Ace nodded dazedly when he realised Luffy was expecting an actual answer from him. “See? Sabo knows that too. He’s not going to take anything you say seriously anyway. He always told me not to when you yelled at me,” Luffy admitted with a small giggle.

 

Ace blinked, the tight knot in his chest finally loosening as Luffy’s words sank in. It was quite an astute observation on Luffy’s part to recognise the fact that they really _didn’t_ depend on each other. They were their own people with their own dreams. They had never planned on following in each other’s footsteps when they set out. That was part of why they had decided to become brothers in the first place - so they would always have a bond that connected them across the vast distances of the world.

 

Luffy was surprisingly right for once; Sabo would’ve realised that before Ace. He was the smart one, after all. Although, it certainly didn’t bring any peace of mind to Ace, because if Sabo wasn’t avoiding him due to anger over their fight, then where the hell was he?

 

Ace glanced back at Luffy, who had returned to staring mournfully at the entrance of the alley again.

 

Ace suddenly frowned as another part of Luffy’s impromptu speech registered. “Sabo told you not to listen to me?” He found that a little hard to believe, because he and Sabo had made sure to pound the importance of always following their orders into their little brother.

 

Luffy’s head flicked around to him and he nodded, his straw hat flopping with each eager bob. “Yep! But I’m only meant to ignore you when you’re mad. Otherwise he said I had to listen carefully.”

 

Ace huffed with indignance, which caused Luffy to snicker. Ace poked him playfully in retaliation, right in the lower ribs where he knew Luffy was the most ticklish.

 

“And what was that you said about not needing me and Sabo? You’d have been eaten a hundred times over already without us looking out for you!”

 

“Ace! Stop it!” Luffy giggled, squirming away from his brother’s tickling hands and nearly tripping up over the bag of meat behind him. He rubbed his sides and tried to pout but the effect was ruined by the heavy pants and occasional hiccup as he tried to bring himself under control.

 

Ace grinned, Luffy’s laughter having succeeding in banishing his darker mood, and let his head drop back against the wall. It was at that moment he realised dusk had quickly started to descend around them, and his grin slipped. “We need to leave soon,” he noted, somewhat unhappily. He forced himself to his feet, knowing he would have to be the one to make the first move, since Luffy would happily stay in the alley all night waiting for their brother if he could.

 

“I hope Sabo’s okay,” Luffy said, and the joyful exuberance he’d had only seconds ago evaporated as quickly as it had arrived.

 

“Me too,” Ace sighed heavily.

 

“Sabo’s not staying away because of Ace,” said Luffy firmly, a small frown appearing on his face. “So there must be another reason he can’t come and see us.”

 

“Yeah,” Ace agreed, reaching out to tug Luffy into a quick one-armed hug, before giving him a gentle shove towards the wall. He quickly located their pipes and waited impatiently as Luffy fiddled around with something in his pocket. When Luffy finally disappeared over the wall, he cast the sack of meat a final look before deciding to leave it behind. Luffy didn’t seem bothered with it and Ace didn’t fancy carrying it back to the mountains. “We’ll come back next week and if he doesn’t turn up, we’ll sneak around and see if we can catch him. He must be around _somewhere,”_ he suggested to Luffy who thankfully perked up at the suggestion.

 

Ace tried to recall where Sabo had told him his father’s business was located. He remembered Sabo saying he often accompanied his father to the offices before carrying on to meet them. It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that Sabo had simply been forced to stay and help out if he had been seen wandering around Edge Town when he should’ve been at the library.

 

The two youths quickly and easily navigated the darkening back alleys, jogging down streets and dodging the occasional person still going about their business. It was when they were checking to see if the guards at the gate were suitably distracted enough so they could sneak on through to Gray Terminal that a slightly high-pitched snort of repulsion caught Ace’s attention.

 

He glanced back down the short alley they had just run down and practically did a double take when he saw none other than Stelly walk past the far end. Admittedly, Ace had only seen him once, and at the time he had been desperately trying to make sure that Sabo remained out of the noble’s sight, so he hadn’t had the best look at the youth. But there was no mistaking that face.

 

“Hey, Ace, the guards are gone! Let’s go – whoa!”

 

Luffy choked slightly before his stretchy body accommodated Ace roughly grabbing him by the scruff of the neck. He yelped as Ace yanked him back into the alley and back down the way they’d just come.

 

“Change of plan,” Ace said shortly, quickly peering around the edge of the building.

 

“What’s going on?” Luffy asked, always eager for an adventure as he shoved his head around the corner and looked around wildly for the source of his brother’s interest.

 

“See that noble over there?” Ace asked, pointing at Stelly’s retreating back.

 

“Yeah,” Luffy nodded.

 

“That’s Stelly. The kid Sabo’s parents adopted,” said Ace, quickly motioning for Luffy to follow him as Stelly disappeared around the next bend in the street with someone who looked to be an office worker of some sort hot on his heels, arms full to bursting with bags. An idea slowly started to form in Ace’s mind as he studied the boy barely five meters from them. He quickly assessed the pros and cons before deciding it was worth the risk.

 

“So why are we following him?” Luffy wondered, hurrying after his brother.

 

“He probably knows what’s happened to Sabo,” Ace explained. He stopped so abruptly that Luffy ran into his back with a small ‘oof’ of protest. Ace ducked sharply behind a closed-down stall, pulling Luffy along behind when he saw Stelly and his companion had stopped right in the middle of the street at a crossroad.

 

“Master Stelly, we really should be returning to the office. Your father -”

 

“Will probably have left already,” said Stelly dismissively. “And if he hasn’t, you can just tell him I’ve returned home myself. I am quite capable. I know the way.”

 

The office clerk - for Ace couldn’t imagine the nervous man could’ve been anything else - looked decidedly unsure of himself, but was in no position to argue with a noble no matter their age. Ace shook his head in disgust, once again realising just how much power the nobles held over the common folk.

 

“If you’re certain,” the clerk muttered. Stelly waved the man away with an impatient hand, turning his back to him.

 

Ace nudged Luffy discreetly and nodded to a small side street. “Go wait for me over there,” he whispered. Luffy nodded and quickly darted away. Ace waited to make sure that Luffy made it before turning his attention back to Stelly. After making sure that attentive clerk had actually disappeared down another street, Ace struck.

 

Quick as a cat, he covered the distance separating himself from Stelly and barreled into the side of the startled noble. One hand was slapped across Stelly’s mouth before he could make a single sound and he easily shoved the squirming boy into the small, abandoned side street. Luffy jumped out of the way as Ace practically threw the brunet into the shadows. Stelly’s back met the brick wall with a small thud and a muffled whimper of pain.

 

“Did anyone see?” Ace asked Luffy, wanting to know if they needed to move again or if their current hiding space was still safe.

 

“No,” Luffy confirmed with a wide grin. “That stuffy guy didn’t see anything. And there’s hardly anyone else out there anymore.”

 

“Good,” Ace sighed. He frowned suddenly as wet sensation tickled the hand still clasped against Stelly’s mouth. He sneered in disgust when he realised Stelly was silently bawling his eyes out, tears and snot dripping down in face and onto the back of Ace’s hand. “Gross!” Ace grunted, roughly jerking his hand back. Stelly almost pitched forwards as the sudden weight holding him up against the wall vanished. His wails, no longer muted by Ace’s palm, immediately caused Ace and Luffy to flinch at the sheer pitch he managed to produce. If it hadn’t been so painful to listen to, Ace knew both himself and Luffy would’ve been rolling on the ground in hysterics at the display.

 

Sabo hadn’t been lying or exaggerating about his parent’s favourite child; he truly was a pitiful creature, Ace thought with a weary sigh. Luffy turned to him, his face rather scrunched up in displeasure from the noise.

 

“He’s loud,” Luffy stated simply.

 

“Yeah.” There was certainly no disagreeing with the obvious. “And I thought _you_ were a crybaby,” Ace mused before he winced. If possible, Stelly’s cries had just gone up another octave.

 

Ace’s gaze darted to the end of the alley. They were sure to start attracting some unwanted attention soon if Stelly didn’t shut up. Ace really didn’t fancy having to drag the snot-nosed little brat half way round Edge Town if they were seen. With that thought in mind, Ace drew back one balled-up fist before slamming it forward, straight into the bricks next to Stelly’s head.

 

The result was immediate. Stelly froze in shock and his wailing stopped abruptly. Ace saw him glance out the corner of one beady little eye to where Ace’s fist was now half-buried in the wall beside him. A large shudder went through the plump frame before the boy’s legs gave out and he slumped to the ground.

 

“That’s better,” said Luffy with a small grin. “Ace doesn’t like crybabies, so you’d better not start again. It can hurt when he hits you,” Luffy added, imparting his wisdom on the trembling boy at their feet.

 

Stelly hiccupped a couple of times and he stared nervously up at Ace, who in turn gazed back at him with eyes as hard as steel, arms crossed tightly across his chest.

 

“W-wh-what-do…y-you…want?” Stelly stuttered, trying to edge away from Ace, only to sharply flinch away from Luffy, who had dropped onto his haunches on his other side and was staring at him with undisguised curiosity. The noble was quite literally stuck between rubber and a hard place. And he knew it too, from the way his panicked eyes darted between the two brothers.

 

“D-do you w-want mon-money?” Stelly asked. “I don’t-there’s none on-on me right now! Bu- but my f-father is-”

 

“A bastard,” Ace cut in swiftly. Luffy nodded his agreement.

 

Stelly blinked in surprise but just barely managed to shake his head. “N-no! He’s-”

 

“We know exactly who your father is,” Ace snapped. Stelly fell silent. “He’s an arrogant bastard who thinks the world should fall at his feet. Just like the rest of you!” Ace half-shouted, his temper flaring as the man’s conceited face came to mind. “You think you can all get what you want, screw how everyone else feels!”

 

Stelly flinched when Ace’s fist smashed into the wall again, coughing as a small cloud of brick dust rained down onto him.

 

“Listen,” Stelly whispered, more tears rolled down his plump cheeks. “I-I-I don’t know w-what Father d-did-”

 

“He took our brother from us,” Ace interrupted.

 

Stelly’s jaw dropped. “What?” he spluttered.

 

“He stole Sabo,” Luffy asserted quietly, all traces of his usual grin absent from his face.

 

Stelly gaze swiveled from one boy to the next and Ace could see him silently connecting the dots. “You’re Ace and Luffy?” he finally managed to croak.

 

Ace nodded once. “Where’s Sabo? We know something’s up since he hasn’t been to see us.”

 

Ace blinked in surprise several tense moments later when Stelly snickered. Suddenly, he no longer looking all that scared anymore. He shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet and started to dust himself off.

 

“What’s so funny?” Ace demanded with a harsh growl and he was pleased to see Stelly’s laughter cease immediately. Although, he still looked far too amused for Ace’s liking.

 

“He’s been meeting you two?” Stelly asked. He grinned and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Tuesdays right? That’s the only afternoon he has time to himself. Oh, the sneaky blighter!”

 

Ace frowned, suddenly second guessing his plan to jump Stelly and bully some information about Sabo out of him. He’d thought the reason Sabo hadn’t been to meet with them was because Sabo had been seen with him and Luffy, but judging by Stelly’s reaction, the nobles were still completely oblivious to Sabo’s activities. Ace’s stomach suddenly danced with nerves and he pondered just how much trouble he’d landed Sabo in.

 

“No wonder he always looks so much better on Tuesdays,” said Stelly. “Big brother has been meeting the two of you behind Father’s back.” “We made Sabo meet up with us! It wasn’t his idea!” Luffy shouted, immediately jumping to the blond’s defence, having obviously picked up that they may have just gotten Sabo into some trouble. “And he’s not _your_ big brother so don’t call him that!” he added, almost as an afterthought.

 

Stelly shrugged nonchalantly, indifferent to Luffy’s outburst. “Father doesn’t know about your little meetings, or you two would’ve been hunted down already,” he mused thoughtfully. “And you don’t need to threaten me to keep quiet! He won’t be hearing it from me!” Stelly added in a rush when Ace took a menacing step towards him. He quickly raised his hands in surrender, sweating heavily under Ace’s fierce expression. “I am surprised though. I thought Father had big – I mean, Sabo so downtrodden he’d never have the guts to do something so reckless again. But if he’s been meeting you two, he must have some determination left in him.”

 

“Of course he does. He’s Sabo, he’ll never quit,” Ace said quietly.

 

“Yes, I am aware of that. He’s extraordinarily stubborn,” Stelly snorted.

 

“If none of you found out he’s been meeting us, there’s no reason for Sabo to have stopped coming to see us,” Ace concluded. “So where is our brother?”

 

Stelly sighed wearily and his shoulders sagged. “Big – Sabo is sick,” he said. “He has been for weeks now. He’s in no fit state to be going anywhere.”

 

Ace and Luffy both stared at him in shock.

 

“What’s wrong with Sabo?” Luffy worried. Ace felt his little brother’s hand latch into his wrist in a painfully tight grip.

 

“No idea,” Stelly shrugged. “The physician said the fever he had is gone and he’s recovered from the sickness, but he’s completely listless. It’s pathetic really.”

 

“Don’t call him pathetic!” Ace snapped. Stelly flinched away from him. “You’re the pathetic one,” he said, motioning to the snot and tears drying on the other’s face.

 

Stelly frowned. “Well, he is! If he’d just have the guts to leave already, everyone would be happier for it! No one needs him!”

 

Ace drew in a sharp breath as Stelly shouted nearly the exact same words Ace had thrown at Sabo. Guilt bubbled up in his chest again and he wondered just how many times over the years Sabo had had to hear he wasn’t needed. He wasn’t a person to his family. He was a tool, a means to an end.

 

Ace closed his eyes, wishing there was a way he could he could snatch Sabo away from this place. None of the people there deserved him.

 

“Are we done here?” Stelly asked, jolting Ace and Luffy from their respective thoughts. “Mother will no doubt be getting worried. And I promise, I won’t say a thing about seeing you,” he added, eyeing Ace’s clenched fists nervously.

 

“You’d better not,” Ace growled. “It really won’t take much to find you again.”

 

“Can you give Sabo something from me?” Luffy suddenly piped up. “Maybe it’ll make him get better quicker.”

 

Stelly frowned but a quick glance at Ace, who glared at him threateningly, had him turning to an expectant Luffy. “What do you have for Sabo?” he sighed.

 

“This,” Luffy reached into his shorts pocket and pulled out a rather dry but still edible meat steak.

 

“What is it?” Stelly asked, clearly repulsed if his backing away was any indication.

 

“Meat!” Luffy crowed proudly. “It’s venison. It’s really tasty!”

 

“Ugh, I’ll take your word for it,” said Stelly, eyeing the meat distastefully. “It certainly doesn’t look like any venison I’ve seen before.”

 

“You had that in your pocket?” Ace asked, somewhat amused.

 

Luffy nodded. “Yeah, for the trip home,” he explained. “I figured Sabo wouldn’t mind if I took just one piece.”

 

“Well there’s no way I’m getting _that_ into the house unnoticed,” Stelly butted in. The sneer dropped off his face quickly enough that Ace was immediately wary.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, not at all liking the somewhat pensive expression Stelly wore as he eyed the meat in Luffy’s hand.

 

“Do you bring Sabo food often?” he asked.

 

“Every week. We have done for months now,” said Ace quietly.

 

Stelly scoffed and shook his head. “And I assume you started doing so because you saw he wasn’t eating properly?” Ace nodded, somewhat stunned that Stelly had also picked up on Sabo’s eating habits. “Didn’t it ever occur to the pair of you that you were just making him miss the stuff he used to have even more than he already did? You were bringing him constant reminders with you.”

 

Ace felt the bottom of his stomach drop, realisation slowly sinking in.

 

“But food can’t hurt Sabo,” said Luffy, rather bemused. “Its food!” he exclaimed, waving his arms around in dismay.

 

“It _really_ never occurred to you, did it?” Stelly smirked. “That you might be doing more harm than good?” He hummed smugly before turning to leave. “Simpletons,” he muttered. A second later he was scrambling from the alley as Ace’s fist met the wall with a sickening crack.

 

Ace barely even noticed the noble’s departure. Instead, he let his forehead thump against the wall, completely ignoring the throbbing in his right hand when he ripped it from the bricks and unconsciously flexed his fingers to confirm he hadn’t broken anything.

 

Luffy fell against the wall beside him. “What do we do now?” he asked, turning to peer up at his brother worriedly.

 

“I don’t know.” Ace hated to admit it, but he had no idea how to help their brother. Right now, they could only wait and see how long it took Sabo to recover from whatever the hell was wrong with him. If he couldn’t even leave the house, there was no way they’d be able to get him out of High Town and back to the mountains. And if he really was as sick as Stelly claimed, the doctors available to him here would be much better than whatever Luffy and Ace could provide for him. They were just going to have to try and be patient.

 

**xxx**

Sabo was aware he was dreaming even before he felt the gentle rocking of the boat and the sea breeze brush against his cheeks. They had started shortly before his fever finally broke and had yet to stop tormenting him.

 

Usually, his dreams were nothing more than brief glimpses of memories; of time spent running wild through the mountains, pranking unsuspecting bandits, or afternoons spent in the company of Makino and always with his brothers by his side.

 

Sabo missed Ace and Luffy something terrible. He hadn’t seen them now for three weeks outside of his dreams and he was terrified he was going to forget something about them. Something that would be so insignificant to another person, but was so important to him.

 

He hadn’t concerned himself with remembering the little details the first time they were separated. He’d thought he’d had them memorised perfectly. But after being in regular contact with them again for weeks and months on end, he had come to the terrifying realisation he had forgotten the small things.

 

Like just how far Luffy’s childish yet endearing grin could stretch to proportions impossible for anyone not made of rubber. Ace, with his arms crossed over his chest, nonchalantly trying to make it look like he was never interested but failing to hide that spark of joy whenever he looked at them. Their laughter, their shouts of pride and frustration. Sabo felt like it was all slipping away from him like water in the palm of his hand.

 

Sabo smiled when another splash of sea spray hit his face, reminding of him of its presence. He couldn’t deny the dreams were startlingly realistic at times, as he opened his eyes to greet the glistening ocean spread out before him.

 

Freedom was in front.

 

Prison was behind.

 

Sabo glanced backwards, past the small cabin of the fishing boat he was standing on and back towards the docks he was sailing away from.

 

He had very nearly done this once, he recalled, turning back to the ocean and reaching out to grasp the smooth ship’s wheel that was suddenly in front of him. There had been something happening in town; he had never bothered to find out what, exactly. He would never have been allowed out of his room to enjoy it even if he had expressed an interest. He had overheard his minders whisperings and all he had focused on was the knowledge that the whole town would be otherwise engaged. All the attention would be on the arriving dignitaries, so Sabo had taken the opportunity presented. He had overpowered the simple minded guard left behind by his father and reached the docks with a meagre bag of supplies. He had stood before a small fishing boat almost exactly like the one he was currently sailing, body poised to make the final leap to freedom, when Outlook’s voice had echoed around his head.

 

_“I hold their lives in hands. If you really care for them…”_

The implication had been enough to give him pause. Harsh tears had rolled down his cheeks when he realised he couldn’t leave. His father knew exactly where Ace and Luffy spent the majority of their time; they would be easy enough to find with the help of the right people. Sabo couldn’t bring the noble’s full power down on his brothers. He refused to let them, Makino, or even the Old Hag – for Dadan could deny it all she wanted, she would defend those boys - bear the brunt of Outlook’s wrath.

 

Sabo recalled the exact moment he had forced himself to turn around, to turn his back on the freedom the ocean offered. He had barely heard the roar of the cheers as one of the biggest ships he’d ever seen had slowly pulled into port. He’d hardly noticed that the unconscious guard had still been lying where he’d fallen on the floor of his bedroom and would remain there until the family returned home. He didn’t know what had happened to the guard after that; he had never seen him again.

 

Sabo frowned, looking around him in confusion as a faint whistling suddenly caught his attention. There was nothing on his vessel that could make that sound and if Sabo could trust his hearing, it sounded an awful lot like cannon fire…

 

A sudden loud crash caused Sabo to whip around in alarm. He backed up quickly, lungs filling with black smoke that billowed out of a hole that hadn’t been there moments ago. A wall of flames quickly devoured the stern of the ship, the fire swiftly inching closer, and despite the fact it was a dream, Sabo was certain he could feel the heat of blaze on his skin, almost scorching his face.

 

He stumbled down the steps toward the bow as the flames leapt higher - though not high enough to obscure the vision of an enormous and ornate ship travelling slowly past the small fishing vessel.

 

Sabo’s eyes widened in disbelief as he heard another whistle, and he barely had time to register the second impact before he was being thrown bodily through the air with the sharp crack of the hull exploding almost deafening him.

 

Eyes squeezed tightly shut, Sabo braced himself as much as he could for the impact of falling into the ocean. But it never came.

 

Instead he found himself lying flat on his back, gasping for air and darkness completely surrounding him. After the heat of the fire, the sudden blackness felt cold and empty, causing Sabo to tremble as he stumbled to his feet.

 

_“I’m gonna become a pirate!”_

He whipped around to see Ace standing a few feet away, Luffy at his side. Both their backs were to him. Relief at the sight of the pair had a small smile crossing Sabo’s face and he took a single step towards them before Ace’s voice rang out again.

 

_“Then I’m gonna become a bigshot pirate! I’m gonna show the world!”_

_“I’m gonna be Pirate King!”_

Luffy’s exuberant voice filled the blank space with warmth and Ace’s steadfast declaration practically oozed confidence. Sabo laughed and shook his head fondly. He had no doubt that the pair of them would achieve their dreams. If he squinted just right, he was almost certain there was a crown hovering over Luffy. Directly above Ace, there appeared to be some sort of Jolly Roger. It could almost have been mistaken for a cross and moustache, Sabo thought, a little amused.

 

_“I want to see…”_

Sabo froze. He recognised that voice whispering to him. He drew in a shuddering breath before gathering his nerve to slowly turn around.

 

_“I want to see the wide world, and write a book about what I saw!”_

Blue eyes met blue and Sabo found himself unable to break the gaze of his younger self staring back at him accusingly.

 

 _“I want to see the wide world!”_ the youngest repeated firmly, with no hesitation at all and a sharp accusation in his voice.

 

“I can’t do that,” Sabo gasped, shaking his head rapidly. “I can’t! Not anymore!”

 

His younger self did nothing for several tense moments before one arm was slowly raised and a finger pointed at something behind him.

 

_“They’re leaving you behind…”_

Sabo spun around as the words registered. He stared in dismay at Ace and Luffy, who were moving steadily away from the pair.

 

“Wait!” Sabo shouted after them, lunging forward with an arm outstretched in a desperate bid to latch onto one of them, but a flash of white blew into his sight, obscuring his brothers from view.   


Sabo easily grabbed the thing fluttering in front of him before it could reach the ground. He turned it over in confusion, for it was nothing but a blank piece of paper. Another flash caught his eye. He raised his head and gasped, only then noticing there were sheets of paper falling all around him.

 

Completely baffled, he turned back to his younger self, half thinking he should demand an explanation from his consciousness for its unusual behaviour, but he was no longer there.

 

Sabo frowned and glanced back down at the paper still clasped within his grip. He tilted his head curiously and raised it for a closer look, letting it rest in the palm of his hand. Though he felt nothing as paper wiggled around, the edges were burning, falling away into dust and ash as he watched.

 

_“You’re running out of time…”_

Sabo flinched as his own voice whispered to him over the loud chiming of a clock. The paper, no more than a small sliver now, drifted silently to the ground as Sabo slapped his hands over his ears in a desperate bid to block out the sound of ticking and whispers.

 

He fell to his knees and screwed his eyes closed.

 

“Shut up!” he begged, almost in tears as the noise only increased. “Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!”

 

“SABO!”

 

The blond jolted awake with a strangled gasp. Blue eyes shot open and he lurched off the bed, ignoring the startled yelp of someone nearby. He was only saved from taking a tumble from the bed by the fact that his limbs were trapped in the sheets from where he’d twisted and turned in the throes of his nightmare. He wasted no time at all in ripping them away from himself before collapsing back onto the mattress, panting heavily as he tried to regain his equilibrium.

 

“Sheesh, calm down already.”

 

Sabo snapped his head to the right to find Stelly a few feet away from the bed, several of Sabo’s pillows scattered at his feet. Stelly nudged one absently with a booted toe, looking very much like he didn’t know how to go about picking it up from the floor.

 

Sabo sighed and threw an arm over his slightly sweaty forehead. “What do you want, Stelly?” he asked, and he was surprised his throat felt raw. He had to wonder if he had screamed out in his sleep.

 

“Are you awake now?” Stelly enquired, finally stepping over the pillow and plopping himself down on the bed next to the older boy, causing the mattress to bounce. “I’ve been calling you for the last five minutes and you ignored me,” he frowned.

 

Sabo snorted. “My apologies for keeping you waiting,” he replied sarcastically.

 

The two nobles paused and glanced towards the bedroom door, which Stelly had left cracked open, when Outlook’s angry voice echoed up from the floor below. Their father sounded like he was riling himself up something fierce judging by the loud, irate tones. Both Belinda and Doctor Hart could he heard trying to placate him but the rest of the words were quickly lost to the boys as a door slammed, muffling the shouts.

 

Stelly released a heavy breath and cocked a brow at Sabo. “This house was so peaceful when I first arrived,” he mused. “You’ve certainly caused plenty of problems since you went and got yourself caught. Especially for me,” he pouted.

 

Sabo stared at the other in disbelief. “How the hell am I causing _you_ problems? I barely see you!” he exclaimed, sitting up sharply. “You take my things and never return them, and if you do they’re usually broken. You tell tall tales to Mother which land me in hot water, you rile up the servants, you get the best tutor I had fired, and then you get your _own_ tutor fired!” Sabo panted. He wished he hadn’t tossed all the pillows off the bed earlier because at that moment he dearly wished he could throw one right at Stelly’s impassive face.

 

“And _you_ ,” Stelly said, a little too sweetly for Sabo’s liking. “You, Sabo, have possibly _the most_ tenacious pair of brothers I have ever met.”

 

It took several seconds for the words to fully register with Sabo, who was still feeling a little out of it since his nightmare, but when they did, he felt his blood run cold. He was sure the colour drained from his face faster than it ever had before as he stared in dismay at Stelly, who was watching him with something like amusement flickering across his face.

 

“You’ve seen Ace and Luffy?” Sabo had to ask. He couldn’t risk jumping to conclusions but from the smug smirk Stelly gifted him, his first guess was proven absolutely right.

 

“Yes, I have,” Stelly confirmed before a small frown appeared. “They must’ve seen me about town and followed me because as soon as I was alone, they jumped me and dragged me into an alley. It was all very uncivilised,” he sniffed.

 

Sabo groaned and buried his head in his knees, tugging urgently on blond strands. He wondered what in the world his brothers had been thinking. No, he knew exactly what they were thinking, and that was probably to try and get some information out of Stelly about why Sabo had up and disappeared on them. He supposed he should count his lucky stars that neither of them had thought to raid Outlook’s office in their hunt for him.

 

Sabo shook his head in despair. His brothers really had no common sense at all. What they were going to be like when they turned seventeen and set out on their journeys didn’t even bear thinking about in Sabo’s opinion.

 

He knew he should’ve tried harder to send them a message but he’d thought they wouldn’t do anything reckless. Except he’d forgotten that he was dealing Ace and Luffy. Two D’s who didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘patience’. Sabo was going to blame his lapse in judgment on the fever.

 

“They told me some very interesting things,” Stelly said, causing Sabo to raise his head weakly. “Apparently, you’ve been having little meet-ups with them every week?”

 

The panic must’ve shown on his face, because Stelly laughed at him.

 

“Are you going to tell Father?” Sabo asked, extremely nervous and silently cursing Ace and Luffy for opening their mouths. There was no telling what Outlook would do with the information, but with the mood he had been in for the past month, it certainly wouldn’t be anything good. Sabo could kiss goodbye to stepping out his room ever again unless it was to walk down the aisle and straight into an arranged marriage.

 

“I’m not going to tell Father,” said Stelly, smoothly. “Yet.”

 

Sabo eyed him warily. “I’m assuming you want something from me to keep your silence.” Stelly nodded, obviously pleased he didn’t need to spell it out for Sabo. Of course he wouldn’t have needed to. Sabo had spent far too much time around the nobles to not know how this game worked. “What is it, then?”

 

All amusement fell from Stelly’s face and he adopted quite possibly the most serious expression Sabo had ever seen from him.

 

“I want you gone,” he said grimly, his beady eyes boring straight into Sabo’s stunned blue pair.

 

“What?” Sabo choked, unable to comprehend what Stelly was ordering.

 

“I want you gone,” Stelly repeated, jumping to his feet, his arms crossed protectively over his chest. “I want you out. I want to take over Father’s business. It’s what they adopted me for in the first place! I was doing so well but then you went and got yourself caught and now I’m just sat here, running circles around the servants and playing games with Mother for entertainment! It’s boring as hell!”

 

Sabo looked at the younger boy thoughtfully. His usually pale face was flushed a blotchy red and his fingers were digging into his upper arms so tightly Sabo knew it had to be painful but the other said nothing. He only continued to glare passionately down at Sabo.

 

Sabo had the sudden realisation that the lives of himself and his brothers weren’t the only ones Outlook was currently dictating, and whilst he couldn’t quite bring himself to sympathise, he could certainly _empathise_ with the other boy over their rather desperate situation.

 

Sabo sighed quietly and scrubbed a hand across his face, suddenly feeling extraordinarily tired. “Unless you have a damn good idea of how to persuade Father then we’re both stuck, Stelly, because I don’t want to be here either,” he said softly.

 

Stelly actually whined and flopped back down onto the bed, falling back to lean against the footboard.

 

“If only you had some bloody leverage against Father, you could use that to prevent him targeting your brothers after you left,” Stelly grumbled.

 

Sabo smiled weakly at the thought. “If only,” he agreed quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I wrote Luffy’s line “Do you think Sabo forgot about us?” the night before chapter 794 came out… Needless to say, when I read the chapter the next day, I was completely devastated that that was actually true!! 
> 
> Anyway, please remember to review!


	6. There's a Rumor in Goa Kingdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: Thank you once again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I love hearing your feedback, and everyone's reactions to Stelly were interesting :D
> 
> Kudos to anyone who can guess what movie song inspired this chapter's title.
> 
> Big thank you as always to Mithril for beta'ing!

Sabo sighed heavily and slumped further down into the bath, the bubbles tickling his nose in mock playfulness, as he slowly mustered up the courage to leave the sanctuary of the bathroom. Despite the fact it was nearly lunchtime already, Doctor Hart had all but ordered Sabo into bathing whilst his bedroom was aired and fresh linens replaced. Sabo couldn't complain. He had to admit, he did feel better after the long soak he'd been permitted. He could feel the last bits of tension that had been plaguing him for weeks finally disappearing, and for the first time in over a month, he finally felt like he had a clear head again.

Which Sabo concluded wasn't necessarily a good thing, because now that his thoughts weren't suffocated with fevers, or the after effects of nightmares, he had no excuse to hold off Stelly telling Outlook that Sabo had been secretly meeting his brothers.

And the ratbag would tell Outlook, Sabo thought glumly, hoisting himself out of the now lukewarm bath – which was really large enough that one could probably describe it as a small swimming pool – and slowly toweling himself off. Doctor Hart had finally given Sabo the all clear to continue his lessons, which Sabo understood were to resume first thing in the morning, and he suspected Stelly was already plotting ways of dropping his bombshell on Outlook the moment it looked like Sabo was showing any sign of hesitation.

Sabo needed a way out, and quickly, because Ace and Luffy would only be patient for so long before they decided to do something reckless. Ace had already threatened to come to the house once before; Sabo was certain his brother was more than capable of following through with it.

Sighing again, Sabo quickly shrugged into his clothes, disregarding the fact that his hair was still slightly damp, the soft curls hanging rather limply around his face and dropping water onto his clean, blue shirt. He wasn't going to be in the presence of anyone anyway. Sabo shrugged, half glancing at himself in the floor length mirror as he left the bathroom. His mother had given her strict instructions that until he could eat proper meals with the rest of the family, he needn't grace the table with his presence. She had flat out refused to have the boring and unappetising foods Doctor Hart insisted Sabo currently needed at her table.

Sabo wasn't going to complain. The less time he spent in the presence of his so-called family the better. And he had been pleasantly surprised when first presented with the meals Doctor Hart was ordering the kitchen staff to prepare. They weren't at all like the rich and fatty foods his parents insisted on, and were much easier to stomach. Sabo couldn't for the life of him work out why they were considered boring. The tomato soup he'd had for supper last night had actually tasted of tomato soup, rather than an assortment of herbs his mother favoured.

There was something to be said for going back to basics, Sabo mused as he reached the dining hall and found the maid had already laid out his meal in readiness for his arrival. His strength was returning thanks to Doctor Hart's steadfast care and meal plan.

Relieved that Stelly was currently absent – and Sabo really was cursing his fever-addled self for continually calling for his brothers to the point where Doctor Hart believed Stelly's presence instrumental to Sabo's recovery – Sabo settled down to enjoy his lunch in relative peace.

Only it didn't last long.

Sabo jumped, almost spilling his glass of water over himself at the sound his father's heavy study door slamming shut further down the corridor, shaking the dining room's chandelier with a tinkling rattle.

"This is most unacceptable," Outlook boomed. "People are beginning to talk."

Sabo very nearly jumped again when his father's voice floated over to him, sounding much closer than someone should from another room away. Glancing behind him, as though half expecting Outlook to have appeared in the dining room through some secret staff tunnel - of which Sabo knew the house had a few having been caught down them more than once - Sabo was relieved to discover the windows had been left open, and Outlook's voice was simply carrying from his study.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Sabo rose to his feet and towards the window, itching to know what Outlook had found unacceptable _this_ time. The blond swore it was one of his father's sayings; he certainly used it often enough. Usually in relation to Sabo, who acknowledged he might as well listen in. _Forewarned is forearmed,_ Sabo thought, resting against the window ledge.

"Talk of what?" Belinda's voice rang out just as clearly as her husband's, only hers had a slightly sharper edge to it that Sabo recognised as her no-nonsense voice.

"Of Sabo," Outlook huffed. "They want to know why he hasn't been present at any of the recent social gatherings. Of which there have been many. It's the height of the season after all."

Sabo couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes and shaking his head ruefully. Outlook only had himself to blame for Sabo's presence being missed. Sabo himself had made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with any of it, and happily remained as invisible as he could whenever he was forced to attend something. The only reason Sabo had been noticed at all was because Outlook had made sure everyone who was anyone knew _exactly_ who his son and heir was. Every socialite knew Outlook and Belinda had high designs for Sabo. Neither had been particularly quiet about their desire for an arranged marriage into the royal family. And even if they hadn't spread the news themselves, nobles were nosy and liked knowing everything.

"We've explained the situation though," said Belinda, breaking into Sabo's musings. "Plenty of them saw how sick he was last month. It would be unacceptable to have him gallivanting around them."

"It's because so many people saw how sick he was that they're talking!" Outlook countered. "If the stupid boy had told us he was ill to start with, he wouldn't have been seen in such a state. Do you know what they're saying? They think him to be on his deathbed and we're just putting up appearances, can you believe? I actually had Ahho Desunen approach me yesterday offering me his condolences, for crying out loud!"

Sabo had to repress his snort of laughter. Nobles could certainly come up with the wildest of tales, he snickered quietly, mindful not to let his mirth be overheard by his parents.

"We can't have someone like Ahho Desunen believing Sabo's _dying_! His daughter Zurako is potentially a strong marriage match for Stelly. If he believes Sabo is unavailable to marry into the royal family, he could think that the plan would be to offer Stelly instead. We can't have that! I heard Zurako comes with an impressive dowry and her father's influence, it would be a blow to lose such a thing. What did you tell him?"

"What do you think I told him? I said quite firmly that Sabo is expected to make a full recovery and that he was due to resume his normal routine this week. Which he is. So hopefully the gossip will be put to rest as soon as Sabo puts in an appearance. I believe there's something this weekend, is there not?"

"Yes, another young lady is making her debut. It should be an interesting one. Her family is relatively new to money," Belinda confirmed.

"Perfect. Sabo and Stelly can both attend. I assume you will be able to confirm Sabo to be fit enough before then?"

Sabo frowned, wondering who in the world Outlook was talking to before a soft noise of acceptance could be heard. Sabo immediately recognised the tone as that of Doctor Hart. He hadn't realised the physician was present too.

"I must say, Doctor," Belinda said, somewhat haughtily, and Sabo could picture perfectly how displeased her expression must look right at that moment, having been on the receiving end of the same glare more than once. "We're very disappointed in you. I have always thought you to be the most exemplary of physicians but what you've been telling us is just too preposterous."

Sabo's brow quickly knit together and he cocked his head in what Ace would no doubt describe as an exact imitation of Luffy's confused face. He leant closer to the window, curiosity tugging at him as he tried to work out the source of his parent's displeasure. Doctor Hart had been the family physician for years as Sabo understood it, and for Outlook and Belinda to now criticise someone they spoke so highly of to others was nearly unheard of. Sabo's parents had always gone out of their way to make it known of their lofty connections, and Doctor Hart was the best, and therefore usually unaffordable, even to some of the nobles. If Outlook and Belinda suddenly changed their boastful attitudes towards him, it would be like Professor Binns all over again.

Sabo had to admire Doctor Hart if the man had decided to risk social suicide by not sugarcoating something Outlook and Belinda needed to hear.

"I'm very sorry you feel that way," Doctor Hart's voice flowed out the open window so softly Sabo almost missed it. "I'm afraid I cannot change the facts, however."

"It's a ridiculous diagnosis," Outlook scoffed, and Sabo heard him stomping around what was presumably the desk.

"I'd have thought with the money we're paying you, you would've been able to find a better cure for the boy," said Belinda disdainfully. "From what I understand, it could well re-occur and we simply can't be having such theatrics again."

Sabo felt a jolt of nervous tension run through him. His parents quite obviously disagreed with Doctor Hart's diagnosis of him but other than his original fever, he hadn't been told anything. Although, Sabo pondered anxiously, running a hand through his wayward curls, if it had been just a simple fever, surely Doctor Hart wouldn't have needed to spend the better part of a month practically living at the house.

A weary sigh caught his attention and Sabo quickly refocused on the voices, suddenly desperate for information. Sabo leant forward even further, now nearly half hanging out of the window in a bid to continue eavesdropping, no longer worried about being seen. His main concern was that his mother had mentioned it could happen again. Did that mean when and if it did, Ace and Luffy were both in danger of catching it? He bit his lip in worry.

"Once again, I'm sorry you feel that way. I've monitored your son closely as you asked, but I stand by my original diagnosis," Doctor Hart said, and Sabo had the distinct impression that the man had had this conversation with his parents several times. Oddly enough, Sabo felt somewhat reassured by what he was hearing. If Doctor Hart had been asked to stay by his parents, it meant that it was because Outlook and Belinda who were pushing for a different cause, and not because Sabo was still sick.

"It's pure nonsense," Outlook practically bellowed. Sabo rolled his eyes at his father's persistence.

"Master Sabo exhibited all the signs and symptoms. The lack of appetite, lethargy, the stress induced fever. I'm afraid they all point to only one thing, and that is homesickness," explained Doctor Hart.

Sabo started so badly he very nearly took a tumble out the window. As it was, he just managed to catch himself on the ledge as the surprise overwhelmed him.

"Homesickness," he whispered to himself, needing to say it out loud in order for it to completely register in his mind. He almost agreed with his parents, it did sound like nonsense. But it also made perfect sense, he thought, his mind racing. Sabo had always considered home to be with Ace and Luffy in the middle of a forest, in a little treehouse cobbled together from their own imagination, which was often drafty but never cold. Home wasn't within the walls of grey bricks and mortar in the middle of High Town.

"I don't understand how you've come to such a conclusion," said Belinda, and Sabo could hear the disdain practically dripping from her lips. "Sabo is home, so how can he suffer homesickness?"

"Has Master Sabo lived anywhere else but here?" Doctor Hart asked.

There was an oppressive silence from both Outlook and Belinda that clearly answered the doctor's question.

"I see," Doctor Hart sighed. "Are you aware of any interactions or visits to this former residence that might have triggered this case of homesickness?"

Sabo's heart started pounding painfully in his chest and he waited with baited breath for the answer, praying and hoping that Stelly had in fact kept his mouth shut.

"None," Outlook growled. "He's had no opportunity to return to that trash pile and those damn brats bloody well wouldn't come into the city, so there have been no interactions."

Sabo scrubbed a hand over his face, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. Relief ripped through him at Outlook's continued ignorance to his recent meetings with his brothers, though he snorted with amusement at his father's implication that Ace and Luffy wouldn't dare enter the city. He really didn't have the measure of his brothers at all.

"Very well. From Sabo's condition when I first examined him, it certainly appeared that he had been suffering from excessive stress for quite a period of time, but it's possible that it's only just started to emerge in recent weeks," explained the doctor, and Sabo could've hugged the man for unknowingly throwing Outlook off suspecting his brothers in any way.

"If there is nothing further you wish to add, you can leave us," Outlook ordered curtly.

Sabo heard the study door open, freeing Doctor Hart from his parent's presence, and he was about to slowly and carefully withdraw from the window now the topic of conversation had passed, when Belinda's quiet question caught his attention.

"Do you think we should enquire for a second opinion?"

Outlook grunted once, and Sabo could just barely hear the soft clinking of glass as his father poured himself what probably an expensive glass of wine from the decanter that was never far from his desk.

"There's no need to draw more attention that necessary. Sabo is recovering. Whatever the boy's been thinking or plotting will soon be knocked out of his head anyway. His lessons are resumed and it's high time he started pulling his weight around here. He needs to start taking his place in society. The royal family won't wait forever."

"Should I start making the arrangements?" Belinda asked. Sabo could already hear the ideas ticking over in her mind and he couldn't suppress the shiver that went through him. He'd always known his parents had every moment of his life planned out in detail, but to suddenly realise it was so close made it all the more real. They were setting him up for a life in a gilded cage.

"Yes, and inform Doctor Hart his services are no longer required. He's to leave the premises tonight. I refuse to waste any more money on the boy," Outlook snapped.

"I'll see he's informed immediately, dear," Belinda soothed.

"Excellent. Make certain you begin the arrangements for Sabo's coming of age immediately. I can't be doing with more people pestering me about the boy's welfare while there's that blasted investigator hanging around."

Sabo's ears pricked, his interest instantly piqued at the knowledge his father was under investigation. Investigators were practically unheard of in Goa Kingdom. It was an unspoken secret that the local law enforcement were in the pocket of the nobles and wouldn't dare do anything to oppose them.

"Investigator?" Belinda gasped.

"Yes. The families of _The Anchor_ victims have pooled their meager resources together and hired someone from South Blue. If the man had been from anywhere else, we may have stood a chance of buying him off and having him drop the entire thing, but with the Revolutionary Army's ideals having such a strong hold over there, it's impossible. The man has been fishing around the office for days now, wanting to see our records and any information we have. I've had to resort to avoiding the office because he keeps turning up to speak to me. Four times he came snooping yesterday. _Four_ times!" Outlook grumbled.

"Is the rumor that _The Anchor_ was under your hire still floating around?" Belinda asked, and Sabo could tell she was nervous.

"Unfortunately. But there's not much I can do about that. We employed their captain once before so of course people know there's a connection."

"How much trouble could we be in if this investigator person finds what he's looking for?" Sabo laughed silently at the sheer horror he could hear in his mother's voice. He was certain she was probably close to hyperventilating.

"Calm yourself. There's no need to panic. I had the clerks at the office check the accounts and whilst it could cause us some damage to our reputation, the compensation we would be required to pay out wouldn't trouble us too much. We'd just lose profit for the year. The reputation of the business would suffer though."

Sabo was certain he heard his mother actually whimper. He, on the other hand, was completely disgusted. He knew his father was refusing to acknowledge that _The Anchor_ had been under his employment when it had vanished, therefore effectively sparing himself the hassle of paying compensation to the crew's families for loss of life. Sabo had naively thought it was because the monetary loss would damage Outlook's pocket. But if what Sabo had just heard was true, and he saw no reason his father would lie to his mother in the privacy of his own study, then the compensation was a mere drop in the ocean.

Sabo drew in a shaky breath, once again struck by just how greedy and depraved his father was.

"Are you sure -"

"Belinda, it's all fine. The investigator is just grasping at straws and they know it. But just like us, they need to keep their 'clients'," Outlook practically spat out the word, "happy and make it look like they're doing all they can. The man probably realised it was a lost cause to start with. No doubt he took it as an easy job to make some quick money," Outlook suddenly laughed. Sabo scowled deeply. His father was obviously didn't feel all that threatened, although Sabo wished he did. It might make him think twice about some of his actions.

"They really won't find anything? You're sure?" Belinda asked.

"Yes. There's nothing available on the public records and the clerks have altered the files at the office accordingly. He won't find anything because there is nothing to find."

A wave of sympathy rushed through Sabo in that instant. The families of _The Anchor's_ crew probably knew they wouldn't get any answers but they'd tried all the same. They were refusing to give in to the last. They must've known by now they were never going to see their loved ones again; it had been far too long since the ship first went missing for that hope to remain alive. But they hadn't been deterred in their need for justice. They were certainly a tenacious group, Sabo thought, and a small but rather muted smile briefly spread across his face.

Sabo pushed away from the window ledge, feeling rather forlorn as his parents' conversation lapsed into mindless gossip. He took one look at his mostly finished lunch, which was now rather chilled, and quickly snatched up a couple of apples to munch on in the quiet solitude of his bedroom.

One thing the Sabo was certain of as he passed silently through the corridor leading to the ornate staircase, was that Ace and Luffy could never learn exactly what was wrong with him. Sabo bit his bottom lip, praying that Stelly hadn't learnt of his diagnosis before him. If his brothers ever discovered that the reason Sabo had been so sick was because he _missed them,_ they would only blame themselves for pressuring him to meet with them in the first place. He would never hear the end of it. And whilst at first he had strongly objected to the risk they were taking in order to meet for a few stray hours a week, now he couldn't imagine not seeing them again. They were the light in his otherwise dreary life.

The loud chime of the front doorbell echoed around, drawing Sabo out of his thoughts. He suddenly realised he'd come to a stop at the bottom of the staircase and was rather grateful no one was around to scold him for daydreaming.

The doorbell chimed again and one of the butlers materialised out of thin air to answer it before Belinda lost her temper at the 'horrific noise'.

"May I help you, Sir?" the butler enquired, stepping back to allow the man inside.

Sabo couldn't help but raise his brow in surprise. The worn travel cloak did little to hide the somewhat ragged appearance of the man now stood in the entrance hall. Sabo had the distinct impression that the man had thrown on all the best clothes he had, as the jacket he spied underneath the cloak certainly didn't match the trousers, whose bottom cuffs were encrusted with a light dusting of mud. Sabo grinned. The man reminded him of the merchants that would occasionally wander into Gray Terminal looking for loot. But he was certainly a far cry of the usual house guests any noble would receive.

"I'm looking for Master Outlook," the man said, his voice pleasantly polite despite the rather gravelly tone. "I was told he was at his residence this afternoon. I need to speak to him, somewhat urgently."

The butler stared up at the uninvited guest, obviously very unimpressed that someone dared demand to see his master on their own terms, but he did eventually nod swiftly.

"If you'd be kind enough to wait here, I shall see if Master Outlook is available for guests."

Sabo loitered on the stairs, watching the man stand almost to attention in the parlor. Considering he was in the house of a noble, he was surprisingly relaxed, even if he looked somewhat pensive. As the man turned, Sabo caught sight of a small folder in one hand and guessed he must be the investigator his father had been moaning about. Sabo could now see the man carried himself in a fashion very reminiscent of the local law enforcers. Sabo had spent far too much of his childhood running from them not to recognise the similarities, such as the straight back and spread feet, always ready to move at a moment's notice should something come flying at him.

Sabo tilted his head, inquisitively. Outlook would happily ruin this man if it meant keeping his personal and professional reputations tarnish-free.

The man must have caught sight of one of Sabo's excruciatingly slow movements up the stairs, for his gaze suddenly swung towards him. Sabo was surprised when the slightly weathered face broke into an encouraging smile and a polite nod of greeting was offered.

Sabo returned the smile and unconsciously took a cautious step back down. He really wanted to speak to him; he was curious as to what the man had actually managed to find out. He surely wouldn't be pursuing Outlook at his home if he was under the belief that his client's plight was fruitless and there was nothing to find. No one would be that stupid as to incur the wrath of a noble if they could avoid it. No, the man must have some strong leads, Sabo realised, and he desperately wanted to know _what_ as the memory of a small boy asking for his brother hit him.

But before Sabo could open his mouth to introduce himself, sharp heels on the polished marble caught the pair's attention and had both of them swinging around to see Outlook storming down the corridor, his face a picture of annoyance.

"Sabo!" Outlook snapped, his attention momentarily distracted from his unwanted guest when he caught sight of his son before he could make a quick dash up the stairs. "Why are you not in your afternoon lessons?"

"It's Tuesday, Father," Sabo replied quietly, knowing Outlook would be unhappy with his answer. "I don't have any tutors today."

He was also missing out on meeting up with Ace and Luffy for the fourth week running. He could only hope they remained patient a little longer and not do anything reckless in order to see him. Annoyingly, he couldn't risk sending them a note with Stelly now aware of their meet ups. He wouldn't put it past the brat to intercept any message and show it to Outlook.

Outlook frowned and flapped one large hand in exasperation at the reminder. "Ah, yes. Well, I'm sure you have some studying to catch up on, so away with you. Immediately," he added for good measure. Sabo nodded briskly, darting up the stairs and out of his father's sight, suddenly rather grateful for the investigator's presence in the hall. It had deterred his father from calling Sabo on what no doubt he would've perceived as 'cheek' for daring remind his father of something.

Sabo slowed to a stop when he was certain he was out of sight of those below in the parlor, before dropping onto his hands and knees and crawling towards the banister. He was certain if he remained low, no one would notice his continued presence. He carefully peered down through the rails, just about able to see the heads of the men below. He quickly realised that he needn't worry if he accidently made any noise. Outlook was pacing back and forth in front of the man bold enough to seek him out when he didn't want to be found, the heels of his boots making enough of a racket that if it were anyone but Outlook making such a noise, Belinda would have been screaming for silence already.

"Why in the world do you insist on pestering me?" Outlook demanded haughtily, nostrils flaring and his face flushed an unattractive shade of red. "It's not enough for you to practically stalk me at my place of work, but now you actually have the audacity to come to my own home! I am not available for your beck and call! I am quite clearly not working today for personal reasons. I would've thought you would have had the decency to recognise that fact!"

The man somehow managed to remain completely unperturbed by Outlook's rage, which Sabo rather admired. Whenever the same anger was directed at him, he felt his heart start pounding and he barely risked breathing in case it further annoyed his father.

The investigator was clearly no novice though, as he barely blinked under the weight of Outlook's glare.

"Yes, I had heard your eldest son and heir was taken ill," the investigator said softly. "I do hope he is recovering well."

Sabo ducked back when the man's gaze darted upwards, no doubt having guessed exactly who Sabo was the minute he laid eyes on him; he'd done his research, as any good investigator should.

"Why are you here?" Outlook virtually growled with impatience.

"I'm very sorry for having to disturb you at home when you obviously have some pressing personal matters to attend to, Master Outlook. But as I explained to your clerks yesterday, I am only here until midday tomorrow and so far you've managed to break every one of our appointments. Coming here was my last resort, Sir. My clients would like some answers."

"I'm sure you'll understand I'm a very busy man. I can't bow to everyone who demands to meet with me," said Outlook. Sabo risked peering through the banister again and saw the look on the noble's face was practically gleeful at the knowledge the investigator would be out of his hair tomorrow.

"I urgently need a moment of your time to speak to you regarding _The Anchor_ ," the investigator said, and Sabo was sure he detected a hint of desperation in the man's voice. He obviously cared very much about the case. Sabo wondered if he had met the same young boy he had outside his father's office. "Relatives of those lost at sea have strong beliefs that the ship was under your employ at the time it -"

"As my clerks have no doubt already informed you," Outlook cut across the man loudly. "Whilst _The Anchor_ had indeed carried some shipments for us in the past, the shipment to which you are referring was carried by _The Acheron_. With such similar names, you can appreciate there may be some confusion," Outlook said smugly.

The investigator frowned deeply, obviously not believing a word the noble said. "Indeed. But the eyewitness reports I've collected -"

"Are obviously wrong," Outlook interrupted again, smiling. "As the public records clearly indicate, _The Acheron_ was the ship I hired. You must have checked the records yourself, surely. They're available with the Harbourmaster. He keeps very accurate accounts of the comings and goings of ships through the port. If you won't take my word for it, you must surely accept his."

Sabo rolled his eyes, unable to hold back his irritation at the knowledge that even the local Harbourmaster was involved in the cover-up. From the look on the investigator's face, he was just as frustrated with Outlook blocking him at every turn.

"I have seen the records, yes. But with so many individuals' testimonies that _The Anchor_ was under your employment at the time of its disappearance, you can't claim every one of them to be a liar?"

Sabo tensed, recognising the insinuation that the man was claiming Outlook to be the liar instantly. He had to admire the investigator's nerve, watching anxiously as Outlook drew himself up to his impressive full height and managed to gain enough that he was now looking down his nose at the man before him.

"Am I to understand that you are going to believe the accounts of those…those… _degenerates_ over myself? A noble?" Outlook asked, and whilst his voice was exceptionally quiet, Sabo could easily pick up the unbridled fury floating just beneath the surface.

So did the investigator, if the man's half a step back was any indication. Sabo saw the man's shoulder's slump with the realisation that he would get no cooperation from the noble.

"Not at all, Sir," he said, drawing his cloak around himself more securely as he readied himself to depart. "Thank you for your time."

Outlook continued to glare until the man stepped onto the porch, when he cleared his throat, catching his attention. Both Sabo and the investigator stared at him, slightly confused.

"I don't think I need to remind you, I am highly regarded amongst members of the royal family, ties that will be made even stronger when my heir marries one of the princesses," Outlook said. "I have more important things to concern myself with than one missing ship," he added, not bothering to hide the promise of retribution if the investigator should bother him again.

The man stared at Outlook impassively but Sabo could see by the slight widening of his eyes that he realised exactly where he stood. He nodded once before leaving swiftly.

Sabo's shoulders slumped and he could feel a horrible knot of tension coiling uncomfortably in his stomach. He slowly pushed himself up from the floor and started the long trek back to his bedroom, his mind reeling with all the information he had heard so far that morning.

As soon as he entered his bedroom, he kicked off his boots and slumped onto the bed, letting his body sink into the plump mattress. He sighed sadly, staring up at the bland white ceiling and considering the investigator's passionate attempts to speak with his father. The man obviously wasn't stupid and probably knew it was a lost cause but the fact he had taken on the case anyway garnered Sabo's admiration.

But he wouldn't find anything, Sabo accepted. Sabo hadn't realised before today - which he acknowledged was somewhat naïve of him considering he knew just how far his father would go in order to get his own way – that Outlook had so many people in his pocket. The Harbourmasters were meant to be impartial and law abiding, so for one to assist in the cover-up showed exactly how far the corruption in Goa Kingdom had spread.

Sabo felt sorry, more sorry than he could possibly describe, for the families of _The Anchor_. If it had been Ace or Luffy who had disappeared, he knew he would have done everything in his power to try and find them. Or make sure that the people responsible were held accountable. He so wanted to be able to help, but if Outlook wanted something to disappear from the public records, then it would damn well vanish, and no amount of pleading or bargaining would change that.

Sabo closed his eyes with a soft exhale, feeling weary despite the fact he had only made one trip downstairs. He honestly didn't remember the last time he'd been so frustrated. At the world and with himself.

He tried turning his mind to his brothers, hoping thoughts of them would cheer him up, but all he could picture was the pair of them sat despondently in their alley. He really and truly hoped that they didn't think he was never going to see them again. If they started to believe that, they would do no doubt pull _another_ stupid stunt to try and catch his attention. And there were far too many people in Edge Town who had been scammed by the boys, either through theft or the dine and dashes they were so fond of.

_People_ , Sabo thought, something niggling in the back of his mind. He frowned softly, nearly half asleep thanks to the warm sun spilling across the room.

_Public…_

He sat up sharply.

"Public," he whispered to himself.

Outlook had had the public records changed. But what about the _private_ records?

Sabo ran a hand through his hair impatiently as his mind raced. Outlook was a noble and therefore extremely arrogant. He would never for a minute believe that someone would dare disobey his orders. He wanted the public records changed, they would be changed, but that didn't mean to say that the private records kept at the office had been altered. Sabo had seen the file for _The Anchor_ himself. He had _held_ it in his hands; he knew it existed.

Nobles were terrifying to cross, Sabo mused. The office clerks would've jumped to follow Outlook's order to alter the records, but they would probably also think to cover themselves for all eventualities. If Outlook later wanted to the true records of _The Anchor_ , then the clerks had damn well better find a way of producing it or heads would roll.

Excitement flooded through Sabo as a plan slowly began to form, his earlier weariness and exhaustion vanishing. If he could just get into the office, then he should be able to find the file on _The Anchor_ and maybe - _just maybe_ \- he would've found his leverage. But he would have to act fast.

Sabo jumped off his bed, feeling more energised than he had in weeks, and a wide grin stretched itself across his face.

It was going to be a long night.

**xxx**

"– did he tell your father?"

"Papa said Master Outlook told him Sabo was recovering. But Papa doesn't believe him."

"So he could really be dying and they're just covering it up? Zurako! What do you think they'll do without an heir?"

"Oh, they have another son. I can't remember his name though."

"Wasn't it -"

Ace drew in a shaky breath as the two teenage girls floated past the entrance of the alley, a small entourage of attendants following in their wake, arms laden with colourful shopping bags.

He jumped slightly when a small hand grasped his arm tightly. Ace knew Luffy would've held his hand if he could, but as it was, they were currently clenched into tight fists that Luffy wouldn't have been able to open even if he tried. He glanced down at his little brother, hoping he hadn't also caught the tail end of the girls' conversation, but his hopes were dashed when Luffy raised his tear stained face towards him.

"Is Sabo really dying?" he asked, voice so quiet Ace would've missed it had he not been expecting such a question.

"I don't know, Luffy," Ace replied. He shook his arm free of Luffy's grip before wrapping it around his trembling shoulders. Luffy slumped into his side, instantly soaking up the warmth of his brother.

Ace had decided that if Sabo didn't show up today, then he would go and scope out Edge Town to see if he could pick up any news of their missing brother. Sabo had told him time and time again that nobles liked to gossip, and Ace had heard firsthand some of the rumours that flew around the city. He had been certain he could find out something about their absent brother.

Ace had planned on leaving Luffy safely hidden away in the alley whilst he went out alone. He could move faster and cover more ground if he didn't have to keep track of Luffy too. He _hadn't_ expected the information to go walking past the end of the alley before he could even take a step out into the street.

He wondered just how truthful Stelly had been when they'd spoken to him. He had just said Sabo was sick. Not how sick, and Ace had stupidly not thought to ask, so now he had no way of reassuring Luffy that the news of Sabo currently floating around town was completely untrue.

Ace couldn't help but cringe when a high pitched laugh rang out around the street. He really hated the city, he thought, glaring darkly. And so did Sabo. A firm resolve settled in his chest as he pictured his brother's face.

Luffy must've sensed the change in his mood, for he glanced up questioningly. "Ace?"

"I have an idea that should help us find Sabo," said Ace decisively. He'd stood by for far too long when it came to Sabo and his self-righteous behaviour. He had let the blond shift his focus by reminding him what could happen to Luffy if Outlook ever discovered their meetings. And he had been successful. But Ace had two brothers, and it was time he started to look out for them both.

Luffy perked up, instantly alert. "And then can we take Sabo home with us?" he pleaded, a hopeful smile emerging.

Ace nodded. There was no way he was going to let Sabo waste away in this hellhole a moment longer. Ace tugged Luffy deeper into the alley. They had hours until nightfall and they needed to come up with a plan.

It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please remember to review!


	7. In the Dark of the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: Why yes I did take even more inspiration from the Anastasia animated movie for the chapter title too xD Sorry if they're now stuck in your head!
> 
> Thanks to everyone to reviewed the last chapter.

"Whoa! Sabo lives _here?!"_

Ace hurriedly slapped a hand over Luffy's mouth, glancing nervously up and down the street and hoping his somewhat shrill voice hadn't caught anyone's attention. Thankfully there was no one in sight, which also meant there was no one around to question why two rather raggedy children were stood in front of one of the most influential businesses in town.

Ace sighed with relief and dropped his hand, but not before bopping Luffy around the head, although not hard enough to provoke Luffy's usual cry of outrage. Luffy scrunched up his face in displeasure and rubbed at the small bruise.

"Idiot," said Ace, keeping his voice low. "I've already told you, this is where Sabo's father works. They don't actually _live_ here," he said, somewhat impatiently. He'd tried explaining his plan to Luffy half a dozen times over the course of the afternoon, wanting Luffy to understand the importance of what they were doing, but obviously it hadn't all sunk in. Ace hadn't really expected otherwise if he was honest with himself. As soon as he'd mentioned they were going to get Sabo, Luffy had been overflowing with eagerness to get moving. It had been a nightmare trying to keep him distracted in the alley until nightfall and Ace had been beyond pleased when he'd finally been able to answer Luffy's question of "Can we leave yet?" with a relieved "Yes."

Luffy frowned, puzzled. "Why are we here if Sabo's not?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "Because we need to find Sabo's address. Hopefully it'll be written down somewhere inside," he said, nodding towards the four-story townhouse in front of them.

Luffy's gaze ran all the way up the building, his head tilting so far back his straw hat was in danger of falling off. "We have to go in there?" he asked.

Ace detected a small quaver of nervousness in Luffy's voice, and Ace couldn't blame him. He turned to stare at the building as well, and he wasn't above admitting he was more than a little impressed by the sheer size of the place. The offices Ace and Luffy normally passed on their jaunts through Edge Town were nowhere near as big. But they were a little ways out of town so he supposed it made sense that they took advantage of the extra space.

The fact it was so big and so well-known had played into Ace's hands though. He'd only needed to ask one stall owner, and despite the fact that he'd been obviously suspicious as to why someone like Ace wanted to find such a place, his directions had been extremely accurate.

"Sabo's house must be huge!" Luffy said, wide eyes turning to stare up at Ace, who shrugged weakly. He couldn't even begin to picture how big Sabo's house was if this was the size of the office. The logistics of trying to find Sabo in a building even bigger than this when they found the address was enough to give him a headache.

Ace's head whipped around and Luffy jumped as loud yowl echoed from down the street, the sound cutting through the still silence. Both brothers frowned at the cat that walked towards them, looking almost smug that it had caught their attention.

"Come on, let's go," Ace whispered. Luffy nodded firmly once, a resolute expression on his face and his hands balled into tiny fists. He took a couple of steps forward before Ace caught the back of his t-shirt and pulled him back. "We're not using the front door, you idiot!" Ace scolded.

Luffy giggled sheepishly before slipping down the side alley running the length of the building, quickly disappearing into the inky darkness. Ace was about to follow, but paused when a flash of light caught his eye. He frowned, staring hard at the second floor window where it had originated from, half wondering if he had imaged it as the window was once again pitch black. He looked over his shoulder, casting a quick glance at the street behind them, but there was nothing around that could've caused the room to appear lit up.

"Ace?" Luffy's soft call broke his reverie and Ace turned slowly, only to jump in alarm when Luffy's face appeared right in front of him, his neck stretching back into the alley and giving the impression of a floating head.

"I told you not to that," Ace growled. "If you don't control your recoil, you're going to make noise!"

Luffy pouted but Ace was pleased to see he didn't rush retracting his neck, and Ace was able to jog to the length of the alley to Luffy's body and help him brace himself before he could bounce backwards into anything.

As Luffy steadied himself, Ace looked up at the back of the office, calculating which window would be best and easiest to sneak through without causing too much damage. As much fun as it would probably be to wreck some havoc, they were there for a reason and needed to deploy stealth as much as possible.

"Ace?" Luffy asked, watching curiously as Ace slipped the small metal wire he had swiped from a workshop on the outskirts of Edge Town from his pocket.

"You stay down here for a minute," Ace commanded, slinging his pipe across his shoulder with a rope he spotted curled in the courtyard corner and making sure it was secure. He wasn't taking the risk of entering the building unarmed since he'd seen that glimmer of light. Outlook could well employ security guards that would need subduing and whilst he was confident in his own abilities in a fist fight, Luffy would need something, and he had _helpfully_ left his own pipe back at the treehouse. "I'll shout to you once I make sure the coast is clear, and then you can come up," Ace clarified when it looked like Luffy was about to protest about being left behind.

Luffy cocked his head. "And once we've found what we need, we're going to go get Sabo back?" he asked softly.

Ace tried to smile reassuringly. "Yeah, then we'll go get Sabo," he promised. He didn't mention the fact that he had no idea of what they were going to do if they found Sabo and he really _was_ as sick as everyone was saying. If he was too unwell to move, then they were going to have to come up with a plan and be a bit more patient. Not something Ace expected Luffy was going to be eager to do, but if they were going to be successful, they needed to be careful.

"Ok, now remember, Luffy, you need to stay really quiet until I call for you," Ace ordered. Luffy nodded so briskly his straw hat was in danger of falling off his head. "I'll see you in a minute," he added, clamping the thin wire between his teeth so he wouldn't risk dropping it by trying to pull it out of his pocket mid-climb.

Ace gave the drain pipe running up the length of the building a quick shake to confirm it wasn't in danger of coming away from the brickwork whilst he was climbing. Satisfied with its strength, Ace began to scale the wall, bypassing the ground and first floor windows, which upon closer inspection were nailed shut. The smooth surface of the drain was very different from the trees Ace was used to climbing, which offered natural footholds within the bark, and by the time he'd passed the first floor, his arms were beginning to burn with the strain.

There was no way Luffy was getting up without assistance. His rubbery limbs wouldn't be able to find any purchase on the slippery plastic. Ace was definitely going to have to haul him up by his arms. Which meant he could only go so far up or Luffy wouldn't be able to safely reach him at all, and his little brother would most definitely _not_ be willing to wait patiently outside for however long it took Ace to search the building.

Ace's concerns proved unwarranted though, for when he finally reached the second floor, he found that the window had been left open a crack by whoever had last used the office. Ace couldn't believe their luck; he didn't even need to use the wire to jimmy the lock. With some careful maneuvering, he was able to reach over and slip his fingers underneath the sash and slowly slide it up.

As quickly as possible, Ace pulled himself through the window, taking care not to smash the end of his pipe into one of the panes of glass as he shimmied through. His feet finally hit the floor and he froze momentarily as the wooden floorboards creaked loudly. Cringing as the unwelcome noise continued with every step he took further in, the worn rug under his feet doing absolutely nothing to soften his footsteps, Ace looked around warily, keeping an ear out for any noises coming from deeper within the building. He slipped the wire back into his pocket in case he needed it later.

The small room he found himself in looked to be a pretty generic from what Ace knew about offices. There was a desk off to the right, behind which stood a wooden desk chair, and the opposite wall was lined with bookshelves.

Ace wrinkled his nose as the musty smell of the room finally caught up to him. From the thin layer of dust covering everything, he didn't think the office had been used in weeks.

He turned back to the window to call down to Luffy, when the meagre moonlight streaming through the window illuminated a small patch of polished floor just underneath the window sill. Ace had stepped right over it when he had entered and missed it, but as he knelt down, there was no denying it was a boot print. And it was pointing _into_ the office. Ace frowned, trying to see if there were any more, but the ragged carpet swallowed up any further marks. Hoping it was a just a clerk who had leant back against the window rather than evidence of someone else entering the building before them, Ace stood up.

The squeak of a floorboard just outside the closed office door had Ace whirling around in alarm. He had no time to remove his pipe from his back before the door handle was turning, the door slowly swinging open. He raised his fists and prepared to launch himself straight at the other person before they could raise the alarm, but instead he felt the adrenaline coursing through his system leave as quickly as it came as the figure froze in the doorway.

His jaw dropped in shock as he met the startled blue gaze of his brother, his blond curls and pale skin standing out sharply in the dimly lit room.

For a second, Ace thought he must have been experiencing an hallucination caused by the musty smell of old books and parchments, because surely there was no _possible_ way Sabo could be stood in front of him, staring back at him as unmoving as a statue.

" _Ace?_ "

Sabo finally called his name, probably louder than was strictly safe considering the window was still wide open, but the familiar voice was enough to jolt Ace out of his own daze.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ace asked, voice sharper than he'd intended if the flash of indignance that appeared in Sabo's eyes was anything to go by. Everything Ace had rehearsed and intended to say to his brother as soon as he saw him again flew straight out of his head as he watched Sabo's surprised face dip into a small frown.

"What am _I_ doing here?" Sabo asked, voice bordering on incredulous and he took another step into the room. "I think that should be my line! What are _you_ doing here?"

Ace could only watch him approach, words completely failing him as Sabo obviously waited for an answer, a puzzled frown on his face as they stared at each other. Ace's gaze quickly took in the familiar figure he hadn't seen in weeks. Despite what the rumours had said, Sabo definitely didn't look like someone who had just left his deathbed, and the rush of relief that flooded through Ace nearly crippled him. He'd pushed aside his worry and fears in favour of trying to keep Luffy calm, but he couldn't deny - not when faced with a near perfectly healthy Sabo - that he'd been scared to death he was going to lose his brother for a second time.

"Ace?" Sabo called again, brow knitted with concern as the dark-haired boy only continued to stare at him. "Are you -"

Ace didn't let him finish. Instead, in a manner very reminiscent of Luffy, Ace launched himself across the few feet separating them and threw his arms around Sabo, trapping the other in a tight hug. Sabo staggered under the sudden weight but just managed to catch his balance before they toppled into the desk.

Hidden under the black coat and blue shirt, Ace could feel Sabo had definitely lost some weight, but the fact that he had managed to catch them both rather than crumpling under their combined mass reassured Ace that his brother was in fact stronger than he appeared.

"Ace? Are you okay?" Sabo asked, the concern clearly audible in his voice.

Ace nodded weakly, trying not to laugh hysterically at the fact that that was probably the question _he_ should have been asking, considering _Sabo_ was the one who had been sick.

Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, Ace desperately tried not to choke on the relief bubbling up inside of him. "I'm sorry," he suddenly blurted out in a rush, tightening his grip on the blond. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sabo staring at him, completely baffled. "I didn't mean it! What I said back then, I didn't mean any of it."

Ace felt Sabo tense up for a fraction of a second, and he honestly thought the other was going to push him away, before a warm smile that was usually reserved for Luffy spread across the blond's face and a pair of arms moved to squeeze him tightly in return.

"Idiot," Sabo said softly. "I know better than to take you seriously when you're in that kind of mood. You don't need to apologise."

"Doesn't mean it didn't need saying," Ace muttered, finally pulling himself away from Sabo, who let him go. Slightly embarrassed at his outburst of emotion, Ace tried to will away the blush he could feel heating up his freckled cheeks. Sabo knew better than to call him on it however, and just smiled reassuringly, waiting patiently for Ace to pull himself together.

"You going to tell me what you're doing here now?" Sabo asked after a few moments of comfortable silence had passed between them.

"Looking for you," Ace said bluntly.

Sabo furrowed his brow, amusement warring with confusion on his face. "You expected to find me here, in my father's office, in the middle of the night?" he queried.

Ace stifled his laughter as best he could. There hadn't been many reasons to laugh in the past month, and the feeling felt almost foreign, but it did wonders to release the last bit of tension in his body. Ace could see Sabo looked rather pleased in having managed to provoke such a response. Ace returned his grin and shook his head.

"No," Ace smirked. "We were looking for your address so we could come and get you," he explained.

Sabo nodded once before Ace's words registered and alarm flickered across his face. "Wait, 'we'? You brought _Luffy_ with you?"

"Shit," Ace muttered, suddenly remembering Luffy was still – hopefully – waiting in the small courtyard below. He dashed to the window, Sabo hot on his heels, and quickly stuck his head out, eyes searching for his little brother in the dim light.

Miraculously, Luffy was still stood in the courtyard, although he looked distinctly annoyed with his skinny arms crossed over his chest, and he was pouting miserably. Ace thought he saw a brief flash of relief cross Luffy's face as he caught sight of him, and he felt a little guilty for leaving Luffy alone for so long. But in his defence, he had been distracted and he was sure Luffy would forgive him when he saw the reason why, Ace thought as Sabo shoved him aside so that he could join his brother in leaning precariously out of the window.

Luffy's gawked wordlessly at the pair of them for half a second before his face lit up as he registered the sight of Sabo grinning down at him alongside Ace. He threw his arms up in the air excitedly.

"SA-"

"Shhh!" Ace and Sabo hissed in unison, gesturing wildly at Luffy to keep his voice down.

"-bo," Luffy finished in a whisper, hunching in on himself as the noise echoed around him.

Ace rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Stretch your arms up and we'll pull you in," he called down as softly as he could. Luffy nodded eagerly, keen on getting out of the cold, dark courtyard and into the warm, safe presence of his big brothers. He stretched his arms up as quickly as possible and grinned when Ace and Sabo each caught a hand.

Ace was glad Sabo was able to help haul Luffy in because even with Luffy using his legs to scramble up the wall, he was still rather heavy. And no matter how much Luffy whined about being able to rocket up, Ace refused to risk breaking anything.

"Sabo!" Luffy cried, launching himself at his brother as soon as he was safely through the window. Much more prepared for Luffy's hug than he had been for Ace's, Sabo was able to catch their little brother with ease. Ace couldn't help but smile as two infectious grins appeared on his brothers' faces in response to finally seeing each other again. "It's Sabo!" Luffy half-whimpered, burying his face in Sabo's shoulder and no doubt shedding a few salty tears.

Sabo tried to pull back from the hug after a minute but Luffy steadfastly refused to let go, wrapping his arms a couple more times around Sabo's midriff. Sabo frowned, casting a questioning glance to Ace.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you too, but what's brought this on?" he asked curiously, wrapping his arm back around Luffy's shoulders when it became apparent the other wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.

"You're not dying!" Luffy exclaimed, his words almost becoming lost in Sabo's coat where his face was still pressed tightly against his brother.

"What?" Sabo asked flatly.

"We heard some nobles talking and they said you were dying!" Luffy hiccupped, finally pulling away and roughly scrubbing a hand across his eyes.

"Oh, you heard about that, did you?" Sabo grimaced, shooting Ace an apologetic look.

Ace realised that while Sabo may not have been up and about, he had obviously been aware of the rumours surrounding his illness. Ace could see him mentally connecting the dots and realising Ace's own earlier outburst might not just have been because he was upset about hurting Sabo during their argument weeks ago.

"Well as you can see, rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," Sabo joked. "I'm sorry. I would've sent you guys a note but since Stelly knows we've been meeting up, I didn't trust him not to intercept anything."

Ace didn't miss the glare Sabo sent his way, and he smiled back, somewhat sheepishly. "Don't look at me like that," he half-pleaded. "I only wanted to talk to the brat. And it wasn't like we did anything to him," he added, although even to his own ears, his excuse sounded weak. Ace was well aware that if Stelly had decided to, the law enforcement would have been on his and Luffy's trail for potentially assaulting a noble.

"Yeah, we didn't mean to get you in trouble!" Luffy added.

"Oh, I'm not in trouble. Yet anyway. Stelly hasn't told anyone anything," Sabo assured them both. But before Ace could breathe a sigh of relief that his reckless idea hadn't caused any permanent damage, Sabo continued, "But you do realise if you'd have kept your mouths shut, I'd have been able to send you a letter telling you what was going on days ago? And you wouldn't have needed to take the risk of breaking into my father's office?"

Ace and Luffy both paused at the suggestion before they shrugged nonchalantly.

"We only wanted to find you," Luffy explained, staring remorsefully up at his big brother. Ace could see Sabo struggling not to give in to Luffy's pleading eyes. It was a battle Ace knew Sabo wasn't going to win.

"I know you did, Luffy, but it was still reckless of you," Sabo replied, with a somewhat defeated sigh. Luffy grinned as he realised Sabo's reprimand held little bite.

"Are we going to find Sabo's address now?" Luffy asked, bouncing on the spot lightly, looking around the small office they were in with barely disguised excitement.

Ace frowned and pointed at the blond. "We found _Sabo_ , Luffy, we don't need his address anymore."

Luffy nodded. "Oh right. Aw, does that mean we can't look around anymore?" he wondered, eyeing the open door. Ace took a step sideways so that he was prepared to catch Luffy if he decided playing in the office was too appealing an opportunity to pass up on. He really didn't fancy chasing his little brother through the building in the middle of the night.

"Actually, I could do with some help looking for something," Sabo said casually, leaning back against the dusty desk.

Luffy cocked his head, interest piqued while Ace frowned. Sabo simply smirked playfully in reply to their unspoken queries, although Ace easily detected an undercurrent of anger in the set of the blond's shoulders.

"What are you looking for?" Ace finally asked, and he suddenly realised Sabo hadn't actually answered his original question of what the hell he was doing in Outlook's office in the dead of night.

Sabo grinned. "Leverage."

**xxx**

Sabo considered himself lucky that he had a rather good memory, otherwise the job of searching the office would surely have taken the three brothers more than the one night they had to hunt down the file Sabo had in mind.

Recalling what he'd seen during his only visit months ago, Sabo had already gone through a couple offices before Ace and Luffy's arrival had distracted him. He knew there was no way the clerks would be foolish enough to have left the file out in the open, not with an investigator hanging around. Sabo was counting on the clerks having an office or storage room they used specifically for hiding files that needed to be kept out of the public eye, which narrowed down the number of rooms they needed to search to the lesser used ones.

Of which there were many. More than Sabo had realised and he was trying very hard not to worry at the sheer amount of offices they still had to check.

A soft giggle had Sabo looking over his shoulder to see Luffy squatting on the floor and gently chasing a small spider with his finger. Despite their current predicament and the need for speed - Sabo wasn't entirely certain what time the first clerk would be in to open up - the blond felt his growing panic melt away in the presence of Luffy's cheeriness.

Luffy laughed softly again when his new spider friend starting to climb his arm, and Sabo chanced a look at Ace, half expecting him to reprimand Luffy for failing to keep a look out for them liked they'd ordered. Unsurprisingly, they had quickly come to the conclusion that Luffy was not cut out for searching after he'd dropped his fourth stack of folders and nearly knocked over a bookcase.

To Sabo's slight astonishment, Ace was grinning softly, quietly listening to Luffy's one-sided conversation with the little critter. Guiltily, Sabo wondered how long it had been since Luffy had appeared so happy, if his usual nonsensical chatter failed to annoy Ace like it usually did.

As if sensing Sabo's gaze, Ace turned to him questioningly. Not wanting to break the contentment that surrounded them, Sabo decided not to draw attention to Ace's unusually good mood and instead he softly closed the filing cabinet he'd been searching.

"You find anything?" he asked quietly.

Ace shook his head. "Nothing," he said, closing his own cabinet with a weary sigh. "How many more offices do you think we need to search?"

"No idea," Sabo muttered, slumping back against the wall, scrubbing a tired hand over his face. He was beginning to feel the effects of the physical exertion after doing nothing but rest for the better part of a month.

"You okay?" Ace asked, stepping closer and peering at him intently. "And don't you dare think about lying!" he added.

Sabo smiled. "I'm fine, I promise. Just tired. I'd forgotten how many rooms this place had."

"Are you sure this file you're looking for really hasn't been destroyed?" Ace asked quietly after a short pause.

"No," Sabo admitted. "But it's the best chance I have, I'm not giving up yet," he said firmly, refusing to allow any self-doubt to seep into this thoughts. He pushed away from the wall and walked towards the door. "Come on, it might be worth checking the attic. If there's nothing there, then we might have to consider looking…" he trailed off slowly and stopped in the middle of the doorway.

"Something wrong?" Ace asked frowning.

"It's quiet," Sabo said, looking up and down the empty corridor.

"So?"

"So where's Luffy?" he wondered.

Ace cursed. "Why the hell can't he just stay put?" he grumbled agitatedly and the pair darted down the corridor, opening doors as they went in a desperate bid to find their little brother.

"Luffy?" Sabo called, as loudly as he dared when they reached the staircase and leaning over the railing, hoping to catch a glimpse of Luffy's red t-shirt, which was easily the brightest thing in the building. _"Luffy!"_

"Yeah?"

Luffy's muffled voice drifted up to them from below. Ace and Sabo's gazes dropped down and they breathed a sigh of relief as Luffy came into view. He peered up at them both, innocently munching on a cookie he must've found in one of the rooms.

"We told you not to wander off! What if someone comes in early?" Ace growled, gripping the banister so hard Sabo was worried he was going to splinter the wood.

"Sorry, Ace. But I was hungry and it looked like you guys were going to take ages. But look! I found a bunch of cookies in the kitchen!" he smiled gleefully, waving around what Sabo could only assume was the last cookie.

"Just tell us where you're going next time. We don't have time to go chasing after you. We're here to help Sabo, remember? Now stop messing around," Ace scolded.

"I am helping!" Luffy cried, upset at the thought that his brothers believed him to be a hindrance. He quickly stuffed the remainder of the cookie into his mouth and scurried for the staircase. Only in his haste, he caught his sandal on the edge of the plush rug running the length of the hall and went sprawling.

Ace and Sabo both grimaced at the loud crash Luffy managed to produce and they hurried down the stairs to Luffy's side to check if he was alright. It had looked to be a very heavy fall.

"Ouch," Luffy grumbled, rolling over and staring down at his knees which were bleeding lightly.

"Serves you right for wandering off," Ace said, but his gruff words were softened as he gently caught Luffy under his armpits and pulled him to his feet. "You okay?"

"My knees sting," Luffy pouted. Sabo slapped his hand away before he could start poking at them inquisitively. The blond knelt down and quickly dabbed at the fresh blood with a handkerchief from his pocket.

"It's only a carpet burn, you'll be fine," he concluded after a moment and he turned to straighten out the rug Luffy had pulled away from the floor. There was no sense leaving evidence of their being there any more than necessary.

Ace pulled Luffy out of way and Sabo frowned at the sound their footsteps made. Even on the soft, downy rug, it sounded almost like there was a hollow echo beneath them.

"Ace," Sabo called, catching his brother's attention. "Walk back across this way," he ordered, leaning down so his ear was almost pressed to the floor. He could feel Ace and Luffy's bemused stares on his back but after a moment Ace did as asked and walked back across the rug.

There was definitely a void, Sabo thought, excitement beginning to course through him. He sat up abruptly and began pulling up the rug, nearly sending Ace, who was still stood on it, flying.

"What the hell, Sabo?" Ace half-snarled, just barely catching his balance before he could fall flat on his back. Sabo ignored him. He was far too interested in what could be beneath their feet.

"Hey, look!" Luffy suddenly shouted, pointing to the floor after eagerly jumping in to help Sabo rip up the rug. Sabo felt a large grin spread across his face when he caught sight of the trap door nestled innocently in the middle of the corridor's floor.

Ace and Sabo swiftly pulled away the rest of the rug and tossed it to one side before all three knelt down to examine the lock cut into the wood.

"I don't suppose either of you have seen any keys, have you?" Sabo asked, running his hand over the cold metal.

"Nope," said Luffy. "Can't we break it open?" he asked, knocking on the wood experimentally. "I could use my Gum Gum Pistol!" he suggested eagerly, and to Sabo's alarm he drew his hand back in preparation.

Ace shot out his own hand and quickly snagged Luffy's arm out of the air before he could make contact. "We don't need to break it," he said, digging around in his pocket with his free hand. Sabo furrowed his brow in confusion only for a delighted smile to emerge a second later when Ace produced a thin wire. "We can just jimmy the lock," Ace said triumphantly. "Lu, move your feet, you're in the way."

After what felt like an age, but couldn't have been more than ten minutes, Sabo finally found himself stood in the basement. He had gone down first, despite Ace's protests that they couldn't see anything and did he really want to fall and hurt himself. Sabo had argued that one of them might need to catch Luffy if he slipped on the rotting staircase and as Ace believed himself to be in better shape, then he was the perfect candidate to keep ahold of Luffy. Ignoring both his brothers' cries - one of concern, another of indignance – Sabo had descended.

There was no light and the darkness seemed to seep into Sabo's very clothes, causing goosebumps to break out across his skin despite the layers he wore. But even unable to see more than a couple of feet in front of him, Sabo realised the cramped space was packed to the brim. He had to make a conscious effort not to tremble at the very thought of what secrets of Outlook's the clerks had hidden away down in the depths of the office.

Sabo almost jumped when a sudden burst of light illuminated the space and he glanced over his shoulder to see Ace had found the light switch.

"Whoa!" Luffy gasped, one hand grasping the back of Ace's t-shirt as if afraid if he let go he'd lose him. Which, Sabo thought in dismay, was a valid concern. The basement was enormous. It looked like it ran the entire length of the building and the shelves were stacked from floor to ceiling in two neat rows abutted against either wall. Further boxes were piled high in the middle of the room, leaving just enough room to maneuver between the rows. "How much stuff do you think is down here?" Luffy asked in awe.

"No idea," Sabo replied quietly, slightly dismayed to hear a soft tremble in his voice. He couldn't comprehend the sheer amount of things before him. From the physical state of some of the boxes, they had been in the damp basement for years, if not decades. Possibly even from the time Outlook's own father had run the business. It was horrifying to think of the number of things Sabo's family had tried to bury. Sabo had thought he'd felt ashamed of being born a noble numerous times before, but never as much as he did right then. Only one thought managed to stop Sabo from letting the disgust overwhelm him, and that was that there was no way Outlook knew about everything that was hidden away. They wouldn't still exist if he did.

"Where do you want to start looking?" Ace asked, dragging Sabo's attention back to the task at hand. He swallowed thickly, ignoring Ace's eyes boring into his back, and examined the closest shelves, forcing himself to focus.

"Let's ignore the stuff towards the back," Sabo said, taking a deep breath before pulling a box that looked relatively new off a shelf. "Convenience would dictate that the newest stuff would be towards this end by the door," he muttered, ripping the lid off and diving in with gusto.

Ace and Luffy were beside him in seconds, lending their assistance. Their warmth on either side of him was a welcome shield against the darker thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him as he picked through the files, each one revealing even more depravity than the last.

**xxx**

Considering how badly Outlook obviously wanted to keep information regarding _The Anchor_ out of the hands of the investigator snooping around, it was surprisingly easy to find. Sabo discovered it resting in the top of the fifth box they ripped through, all of its contents completely intact.

The blond was currently sat cross-legged, staring at the open file whilst Ace carelessly restacked the boxes they'd pulled from the shelves. Luffy was a little further away, still messing around in another box despite the fact that they'd told him they had what they needed.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked, dropping down next to him. "I thought you'd be a bit happier considering the trouble we went through to get this," he added, gently tapping the paper.

Sabo sighed heavily. "I am happy." Ace snorted in disbelief, causing Sabo to elbow him sharply. "I am! I could defiantly use this to blackmail my father into letting me go. If I threaten to release this he'll have no choice but to leave us alone. He wouldn't want this to get out. It would damage his precious reputation and we all know how important that is," he sighed again.

"I'm sensing a 'but' here," Ace prompted gently, staring at his brother quizzically.

A small bang followed by a soft, "Whoops," from Luffy was the only sound that broke the stifling silence for several moments.

"I've always thought I was better than them," Sabo whispered, knowing he wouldn't need to clarify exactly who he meant. "I've always tried to be selfless and make sure I didn't start acting like them and walking all over other people for my own gain. Yet here I am, with this," he slammed the file in his lap shut with a loud slap. "And I'm going to use it all for myself! What about everyone else this affects?" he asked, his hands clenching tightly into fists.

Sabo knew the families of _The Anchor_ victims must've used all their earnings, all their life's savings, in order to hire that investigator. They were pinning all their hopes on one man to find the closure they so desperately wanted. And deserved.

Sabo wasn't sure he could use the information and have his conscience remain guilt free. He had the means to help so many people resting in the palms of his hands. To Sabo, no one was more equal or deserving than another, not matter what their birthright suggested.

"If I use this for me, I'm no better than any other noble who walks over everyone for their own profit," Sabo admitted, hunching in on himself as he silently weighed his dilemma.

Beside him, Ace huffed, slowly slipping the file from Sabo's grip before he could tear anything and gently shaking Sabo's shoulder until the other had no choice but to look him in the eye.

"Sabo, you have to be the least selfish person I know," Ace said. "Don't think that just because you're using this for yourself now means you're going to sink to their level, because you're not," he stated firmly. "You've got to be least noble-born noble ever!"

Sabo couldn't help but snort at the somewhat humorous declaration.

"Look, it's your decision Sabo," Ace alleged quietly. "As much as me and Luffy want you back and away from this place, we also don't want you to regret how you do it," he confessed.

Sabo felt a rush of gratitude towards his brother. Voicing his concerns had made him worried Ace would think he was stupid for not standing up for himself. But he should've known to have faith in Ace; that he'd understand his refusal to trample over other people on his way to freedom.

"But _you_ have to tell Luffy if you can't come back with us tonight," Ace ordered sharply.

Sabo rolled his eyes. "Coward," he teased, and Ace shoved him lightly in retaliation.

"Promise you'll think about it carefully," Ace suddenly whispered. "Just because you might not be able to help these people _now_ , doesn't mean you can't help _other_ people in the future. Don't let yourself waste away for no reason," he pleaded.

Sabo nodded briefly. "Promise," he replied with a smile, although it didn't look like it did anything to reassure Ace. Silence fell around them, the only noise in the basement coming from an oblivious Luffy. The blond could feel his brother's gaze resting heavily on him, and he glanced discreetly at Ace out the corner of his eye. The dark-haired boy was biting his lip and fidgeting nervously. There was a deep look of remorse on his face and Sabo wondered whether he was regretting his moment of surprising maturity by persuading Sabo to think his decision over, especially when he could tell Ace wanted nothing more than to drag him back to the forest with them, but after their last heated discussion on the topic, Ace didn't look like he was willing to push the matter.

"Hey," Luffy's call had them glancing over their shoulders. Their little brother was covered in dust and grime from where he'd been digging through one of the older boxes with such ardent enthusiasm that his black hair was now practically grey. He was peering intently at some papers. "This is a funny word! What's a Looftus?" he asked, turning to them, curious.

Ace and Sabo shared a confused look. "What the hell are you talking about?" Ace asked wearily.

"What's a Loo-f-tus?" he repeated, pronouncing the word carefully as he waved some paper and causing a small dust cloud to rise from his hair as he bobbed his head eagerly. "It says Looftus."

"Oh," Sabo said, turning away. "I think you mean Loftus. You say it like 'law-f-uhs' though," he explained absently before the name registered and he abruptly swung around, nearly catching Ace in the jaw with his elbow. "Wait! Where'd you get that name?" he asked, stumbling to his feet urgently and rushing to Luffy's side, leaving Ace scrambling to catch up.

Luffy frowned and held out the paper for Sabo. "It's on here, and the box," he patted the said box in question.

Sabo snatched the paper from Luffy's hand and swiftly read its contents, his eyes gradually widening in disbelief. He very nearly forgot to breathe as excitement and adrenaline coursed through him.

"Luffy," he said slowly, catching his attention from where he was trying to squirm out of Ace's grip, the elder having made an attempt to clean the other's hair. Sabo finally raised his eyes from the precious paper in his hand, a gleeful smile on his face. "You are going to be one amazing pirate!" he exclaimed.

Ace and Luffy stared at him.

"He is?"

"I am?" Luffy cocked his head before a confident grin broke out across his face. "I mean, of course I am! I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"

Sabo laughed. "I don't doubt it. You have an amazing knack for finding treasure!" he boasted happily.

"He does? What the hell did he find?" Ace queried, looking completely stumped as to why Sabo suddenly appeared so energised and upbeat.

Sabo nodded. "This is exactly what I need to confront my father," he explained cheerfully, kneeling down to examine Luffy's box a little more carefully. He didn't want to miss anything after all.

Ace frowned and held up the file on _The Anchor_ he still had a hold of. "What about this then?"

"That too!" Sabo acknowledged, pulling a couple more sheets of paper from a file to take away with him. "Okay, this should be enough," he deemed a few minutes later, quickly shoving the box back into its place on the shelf and turning to his brothers.

"Are you going to explain what it is Luffy found?" Ace asked.

Sabo shook his head, cutting Ace off before he could start an angry tirade. "I'll explain everything later, I promise. But it's nearly morning and we need to leave," he added, nerves dancing with both excitement at Luffy's discovery and concern about how it must be approaching dawn soon. They had wasted a lot more time searching pointlessly upstairs than Sabo was comfortable with.

Ace nodded, although Sabo could tell by the unspoken questions flashing across his brother's face, he was going to be thoroughly interrogated as soon as possible.

The three brothers quickly abandoned the basement, each one eager to warm their chilled limbs. They had no way of locking the trap door so they simply threw the rug back over it, straightening everything up as best as they could to avoid suspicion for as long as possible. They didn't want the first clerk in that morning to suspect anything and contact Outlook before Sabo had had a chance to speak to him. If that happened, Outlook would no doubt be otherwise engaged for hours and Sabo didn't have time to waste. Outlook wasn't the only person he needed to speak to that morning.

The first dawn light was just beginning to streak across the sky and the early morning bustle of the fishermen at the harbour could just be heard over the bird's morning chorus when they finally reached the relative sanctuary of the courtyard behind the office.

Luffy stifled a wide yawn and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Even Ace looked exhausted but he still knelt down and let Luffy clamber onto his back without argument.

"You guys better hurry through the gate before it gets too busy," said Sabo, taking the lead and checking that the coast was clear before ushering his brothers down the street.

"When do reckon you'll be able to catch up with us?" Ace asked, voice nothing more than hushed whisper.

"Hopefully this won't take too long but don't wait for me. I'll meet you at the treehouse as soon as I can," Sabo replied. Ace nodded.

"Wait!" Luffy cried, thankfully remembering to keep his voice low. Sabo caught his worried gaze and noted the rubber arms tightening around Ace's shoulders. "I thought Sabo was coming home with us? Why're you going back to that place?"

Sabo smiled. "I need to speak to my father, Luffy. There's no point me leaving if I don't make him understand the consequences of him coming after me first." Luffy frowned, clearly not satisfied with the answer at all.

"You want Sabo to be able to stay with us, right?" Ace asked, peering over his shoulder at Luffy who nodded swiftly, almost toppling off of Ace's back with the force. "Well then, he needs to sort out a few things. But he'll be along in a little while," Ace added, gaze boring straight into Sabo's, the unspoken promise of what would happen if he wasn't easily readable in his steel grey eyes.

"But Sabo can definitely come home with us?" Luffy asked, body practically vibrating with excitement and his earlier exhaustion falling away at the thought of Sabo returning home.

"Yes, Luffy, I can come home with you," he clarified, delighted and relieved that for the first time he could respond to Luffy's familiar question with the answer they all wanted to hear.

"Yay! Come on, Ace, hurry up! We need to clean the treehouse so we can welcome Sabo home properly! And breakfast! We need some meat!"

"Ow! Quit pulling my hair!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to review :D


	8. The Boy from Gray Terminal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sad to say, we've reached the final chapter, folks! Enjoy!
> 
> As always, big thank you to Mithril for beta'ing. And for somehow managing to do so whilst buried neck deep in the OPBB challenge! And on that note, I demand you all go check out Mithril's fic when it debuts! You won't regret it!

Sabo hovered in the doorway to his father's study. He had been stood there for a few minutes already, patiently waiting for his father to finish his den den mushi call. He had seen a small flicker of surprise cross Outlook's face when he had first spotted Sabo, and Sabo couldn't blame him. It was still rather early, the servants having not even finished preparing breakfast yet, but it was the perfect time for them to speak alone without any interruptions.

If he was honest with himself, Sabo had expected to feel nervous, now that the moment had arrived for him to confront his father with his findings. But instead he only felt a sense of calm righteousness.

"Then see that's done!" Outlook snapped, and the slamming of the receiver drew Sabo's attention back to his father. Outlook spared his son only a cursory glance as he stomped out from behind his desk and towards the steaming pot of coffee laid out for him. "What is it now, Sabo?"

"I wanted to speak with you about something," Sabo replied, stepping into the office, his feet sinking into the luxurious carpet.

"I don't have time to deal with whatever nonsense you have in your head this morning," Outlook said, taking a large gulp of coffee and walking back towards his desk. He waved a dismissive hand towards the door. "I have a busy day ahead of me. Go and leave me in peace," he ordered.

Sabo frowned. He knew Outlook was aware he was still stood there but he was purposely being ignored. When he was younger Sabo had often felt confused and even betrayed that the two people in the world who were meant to love him unconditionally simply didn't see him as anything but a pawn in their games, someone who was only needed when it was convenient to them. And Sabo was a little ashamed to acknowledge he had gone along with it. He had bowed down to their whims but no more. It ended today.

Sabo drew in a deep, steadying breath, gathering his nerve, because for all that he was as prepared as he could be, his father was still an extremely imposing man and even at the age of fifteen, Sabo barely came up to his shoulder.

"Then I suppose, if you're too busy Father, I should just go and speak to the royal advisors directly. I'm sure they'd spare me the time of day once I tell them what it's about," Sabo said, pleased to find his voice was strong and steady. He didn't have to wait long for a reaction.

Outlook whirled around, mouth pulled down into an annoyed sneer. "What in the world are you talking about, boy?"

Sabo offered him a small but pleasant smile and held up the small stack of papers Luffy had found. He could see Outlook's beady gaze roving across the royal seal of Loftus clearly visible at the top of each page.

"Can I speak to you in private?" Sabo asked again. "Or would you rather the whole house heard the conversation?" he added, somewhat cheekily, but he couldn't help himself. Outlook's undisguised confusion as to why Sabo was waving around papers with the very prestigious royal seal plastered across them was the most amusing thing Sabo had seen in weeks.

"Get in here, you insolent child!" Outlook hissed, storming across the room. Sabo sidestepped him neatly and didn't so much as flinch as the study door was slammed shut so violently it bounced in its frame. Sabo stared up at his father, gaze never wavering. Outlook's eyes on the other hand, continued to flicker to the papers Sabo still held. "Now what is all this nonsense? I promise you, Sabo, if this yet another crazy plea for attention, you will regret it," Outlook growled, but it lacked its usual heat.

Sabo took Outlook's words as an invitation to make himself comfortable. He moved to lean casually against the table in the middle of the room, mindful not to touch the hot coffee pot as he rested back on his hands. Outlook frowned at what he no doubt perceived as slouching, but surprisingly managed to hold his tongue, instead moving to sit back at his desk. He leant forward and propped his chin on his interlocked fingers, studying Sabo carefully. Sabo could tell his father was trying to guess how much he understood about what he had in his possession. He was rather amused to see Outlook hadn't made a grab for the papers, instead trying to brush off their importance by attempting to ignore them. Unfortunately for Outlook, he had shot himself in the foot because he was the one who had insisted Sabo had the best education available. And Sabo had immediately understood exactly what Luffy had unintentionally found.

"I knew we did business for the royal family; you brag about it enough after all," Sabo started.

"It's an honour when you're called upon to assist royalty," Outlook retorted, bristling ever so slightly.

Sabo shrugged. "I knew you did business for them, but I had no idea how much. Or that you were making such a profit for them," he continued, briefly tapping the papers resting beside him before catching Outlook's gaze. "But I wonder if the royal family have any idea you've been holding some back?"

A deafening silence resonated about the study for several moments before Outlook snorted with derision. Sabo wasn't fooled however, he could see a small bead of sweat forming on his father's temple. Outlook was undeniably nervous.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sabo," Outlook scoffed, leaning back into his chair and reaching for his cup of coffee. Sabo spotted a slight tremble his hand. "All the profit we've ever made for the Loftus family has been given to them, as it should be. There are absolutely no records that would claim otherwise."

Sabo smirked, catching his father off-guard. "The false accountancy reports you gave to the royal advisors probably wouldn't," he agreed, stepping towards his father's desk and sliding a single sheet of paper from the file across to the noble. "But the original records produced by _your_ office, with _your_ signature at the bottom, certainly prove otherwise."

Outlook blanched a sickly shade of white. Sabo waited and watched patiently as he read the accountancy sheet several times, clearly searching for any sign of forgery.

"Where did you find this?" Outlook inquired, voice terse and barely above a whisper.

"At the office," Sabo replied, grinning when his father's head snapped up so fast Sabo actually heard a soft crack. "It was well hidden. I nearly didn't find it at all. But all the evidence is here," he said conversationally, walking back to collect the sheets still resting on the table behind him. "It's undeniable. You've been cheating the Loftus family out of their profit for years, if not decades."

Sabo was certain if they'd had the time to search further back into the records stored in the basement, he and his brothers would no doubt have found more evidence of Outlook's theft. Outlook had been careful about how he'd gone about it, though. Sabo might even have called it smart except for the fact he's been scamming the royal family, a completely stupid idea if ever he'd heard one. It had never been often and never in large amounts, but certainly enough to nicely line Outlook's pockets. If he'd have cared, Sabo might've been interested in seeing the accounting books for the office to check and see exactly how much Outlook's lavish lifestyle was funded by his legitimate business, and how much was funded by the royal family.

"When were you in the office?" Outlook asked. Sabo was slightly surprised at the question. He'd expected his father to focus on the fact his son had just found out he'd been stealing from royalty.

"Last night," Sabo said, wondering whether his father may be shock. "I was looking for information about _The Anchor_. I'd hoped that if I could find it and threaten to give it to that investigator, that you'd finally let me go. But lucky for me, I found something even better to use against you!" he added with a grin.

Outlook stared up at him. "You planned to blackmail me?" he asked, voice suddenly deceptively calm. Sabo nodded unrepentantly, watching his father's face bloom an unpleasant shade of red. "Why?" Outlook roared, and he hauled himself to his feet, his heavy boots shaking the very ground as he stomped around the desk. "Why are you trying to ruin your family?!"

"I'm doing this to _protect_ my family!" Sabo shouted, standing firm in the wake of his father's fury, hoping his heart couldn't be heard pounding in his chest. "I knew if I made any attempt to leave, you'd go after Ace and Luffy! But with this, I don't have to worry about that anymore," he affirmed.

Outlook glared, a sneer firmly in place. "And what exactly are you going to do with such information, Sabo? Everyone about town knows you're a troublemaker. They're not going to take your word over mine. They'll believe you fabricated the whole thing!"

Sabo smirked. "Even if people didn't believe me, you won't be able to stop the rumours," he declared. "Look at what's sprung up about town just because I fell ill in public and haven't been seen in a few weeks. No one believes I'm recovering. They think I'm dying! I know you've done everything you can to stop it, but you haven't been able to, have you?" Sabo prompted. That seemed to give Outlook pause, his brow knit tightly in thought as he considered Sabo's words. Sabo raised the papers again, waving them about lazily. " _This_ would always be out there. The royal family would no doubt hear about it. Their advisors would be much more thorough when it came to checking their dealings with you. They may even refuse to send more work your way altogether. And if you lose the business, and _trust,_ of the royal family, I wonder what other clients would follow? The royals are known as trendsetters, after all."

Sabo didn't flinch when Outlook snatched the remaining papers from his hand. "You won't be doing anything with these, boy! The audacity to think I'd let - "

"You can keep them, I have plenty more," Sabo interrupted, wiping Outlook's triumphant smirk straight off his face. "They're only a fraction of what I found."

Outlook spluttered for several seconds, struggling to regain his composure. Sabo dared a glance at the clock on the mantelpiece. He was very aware of the time wasting away in his father's study when he had other people to see. He returned his gaze to Outlook who was flicking through the papers restlessly. He didn't look like he knew what to do. Sabo smiled to himself, wondering when - if ever - the last time someone had the nerve to actually blackmail his father was. Outlook had probably never even entertained the idea someone would dare, let alone that that person would be his own flesh and blood.

Sabo saw the exact moment Outlook decided denial was his best friend. The man threw the papers away in disgust and they fluttered down onto his desk in a flurry of white.

"I refuse to believe you acquired them at the office!" Outlook scoffed. "I ordered all such things to be destroyed!"

"You only conduct business at the office, where else could I have gotten them?" Sabo asked, not bothering to point out that Outlook hadn't denied the legitimacy of the documents.

"Impossible!" Outlook retorted, practically turning his nose up at the very thought. Sabo rolled his eyes impatiently. He really didn't have time to waste on such a petty argument. Just as he was trying to think of a way of drawing Outlook's fractured concentration back to the point at hand, the den den mushi suddenly wailed, breaking the tense silence.

"That's probably the clerks calling to tell you it appears the office had an intruder last night," Sabo said, hoisting himself up to sit on the table, his legs swinging leisurely underneath. Outlook frowned when Sabo grinned. "Sorry, I might've left a small mess, but I was very careful not to break anything," he was quick to reassure his father, who stared dumbly at him for a single moment before snatching up the receiver.

"What?" he asked tersely.

Sabo didn't need to hear the stuttering apologies of the unfortunate clerk who'd drawn the short straw; Outlook's amusing array of facial expressions was proof enough that the man was confirming everything Sabo had just explained. Sabo had never seen someone flush so many shades before. Outlook went from red, to purple, and was currently looking a little green around the edges as the full reality of the situation finally began to dawn on him.

"You're certain?" Outlook asked quietly, hand clenched tight around the receiver. "What do you mean 'and all the food is missing'?" Sabo shrugged innocently when Outlook turned his bewildered gaze onto him as if to say that wasn't him. Outlook gave himself a small shake. "Do a full inventory. I want a full report of anything that's missing by the end of the day."

Outlook lowered the receiver, ignoring the sputtering exclamations of the clerks, and stared thoughtfully at Sabo, who steadily returned his gaze. He drew in a deep breath before walking back around his desk and sliding into the chair. With his head in one hand, Sabo felt like he was seeing the man age ten years in ten seconds. He looked drawn and weak, but Sabo didn't feel even an ounce of sympathy. The noble had knowingly put others through more stress and heartache than Sabo could ever hope to inflict on him in return; it was only fair Outlook now felt some of that anguish.

"What do want, Sabo?"

For a second, Sabo wasn't entirely certain he had heard correctly, but from the look of utter resignation on Outlook's face, he realised his father was indeed admitting defeat, as Sabo had hoped he would.

It was odd though, Sabo admitted thoughtfully. He had thought that when he finally had Outlook right where he wanted him, asking him the very question he'd wanted to hear from his father's lips for as long as he could remember, he'd have felt some sense of victory. But as it was, there was just an overwhelming sense of relief that Outlook was finally acknowledging his needs.

Sabo released a weary sigh and his shoulders slumped. "It's been a long time since anyone bothered to ask me that," he confessed. Outlook's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Sabo could see the thoughts that were running through his head; they were nobles, they didn't _ask_ , they _took_ , regardless of the consequences. "I want out," he finally said, raising his head proudly.

Outlook looked completely perplexed before snorting with contempt. "You want out?" he echoed in disbelief. "I thought for sure you'd simply ask to see those damn brats again, not to actually up and leave!" Outlook shook his head. "What am I supposed to tell people?"

Sabo shrugged, unconcerned and he slid gracefully from the tabletop to his feet. "I don't care. That's not my problem. But since everyone seems to believe I'm currently on my deathbed, you could just take advantage of it. Announce I had a relapse and died during the night."

Outlook's jaw dropped at the suggestion and he sat bolt upright. "That's preposterous!" he raged.

Sabo stared at him blankly. "Are you really willing to run the risk of finding out what happens if I release the rest of those papers to the general public?" he asked, the unspoken threat hanging between them.

Outlook frowned but thankfully settled back into his chair. "How am I to trust you'll keep your word, Sabo? For all I know, you could've already have sent it to the press."

"Stay the hell away from my brothers and I'll keep my silence," Sabo promised. "And I will know if you come anywhere near them," he warned.

Outlook smirked. "How? You're obviously returning to them but you can't be with them all the time, can you?"

"I don't need to be," Sabo retorted quickly. "I lived in Gray Terminal for years, I picked up a thing or two," he grinned. Outlook's smug expression fell away quickly at the reminder. Outlook had experienced first-hand some of the tricks Sabo had learnt after forcing him to return home. And although the number of times Sabo had rebelled against his parents had dimmed in the last couple of years, Sabo had no doubt the memories were still fresh in Outlook's mind. It had taken months after all, for the smell of paint to disappear after Sabo had taken it upon himself to redecorate the house when he was twelve.

Outlook glared. "I hope you realise that if you leave, you shouldn't ever expect to be allowed back, so get all ideas of that right out of your head!" he sniped.

"I never wanted to come back the first time," Sabo pointed out, heading towards the door. He heard Outlook jump to feet and he glanced over his shoulder, pausing with one hand on the doorknob.

"Is this really worth it?" Outlook called. His father looked almost perturbed, but Sabo wasn't fooled to think it was because his son was willingly walking away from him for the second time. No, it was simply because he was losing his blood heir. Birth rights meant everything to the privileged. "You'll be losing all your wealth and status!" he cried.

Thoughts of Ace and Luffy came to mind, causing Sabo to smile softly. "Not all wealth in the world is gold and silver."

**xxx**

The house was silent, the way Sabo liked it best, which meant either Outlook had told his mother the truth of his impending departure and she had simply fainted from shock, or Outlook was waiting until he was sure Sabo was out of the house before breaking the news. Sabo wasn't going out of his way to find out which; he had absolutely zero interesting in seeing his mother again. They had nothing to say to one another.

He cast the clock another quick glance before frowning. Whilst his talk with Outlook hadn't lasted all that long, he was pushing himself for time if he wanted to make it to the docks. He hurriedly threw another journal into his bag, squashing down the blankets and spare shirts he'd already packed. He wasn't taking much. He didn't need or want anything more than to get the hell away from High Town, but he was also thinking ahead. Winters in the forest could be brutal and while Ace and Luffy had obviously managed, Sabo knew a few spare blankets would never be unwanted. The journals themselves were old, but even so, Sabo wasn't willing to leave them behind and he was sure Luffy at least would enjoy some of the stories he'd recorded.

Shuffling footsteps caught Sabo's attention. He glanced over his shoulder, hoping it wasn't some nosy maid, but was instead greeted by the most unwelcome sight of Stelly lounging in the doorway. His hands were clasped behind his back and he wore one of the smuggest expressions Sabo had ever seen, which was saying something considering it was _Stelly._

"Father's locked himself in his office and is refusing to see anyone. I think he's despairing about where they went wrong with you," Stelly said, sighing with much exasperation.

Sabo allowed himself a small moment of indignance. "I think you mean, where did they go right with me," he corrected, turning his back on the young noble to study the small collection of books he had on his desk, wondering if he could squeeze a couple of them into his bag too.

"You're going to give that investigator the file on _The Anchor_ , aren't you?"

Sabo paused briefly and then smirked. "Eavesdropping isn't polite, Stelly," he pointed out, picking a couple of books at random. He caught Stelly shrugging out the corner of one eye when he crossed back to the bed. "I told father why I went to the office in the first place. It really shouldn't come as a surprise when word gets out," he explained.

"You're not worried Father will retaliate?" Stelly asked, taking Sabo's involvement in the conversation as an invitation to enter the bedroom.

"No, because he knows there's worse to be revealed if he does," Sabo said, struggling to close his bag.

Stelly pouted pathetically, but his gaze was resting on the unobtrusive file resting beside Sabo's bag. "You enjoy making my life difficult, don't you?" One hand reached out to try and sneak a peek at the contents.

"What?" Sabo asked in astonishment. If anything Stelly had made _Sabo's_ life difficult these past four years. Frowning, he snapped the file closed and pulled it carefully out of Stelly's reach. He received a glare in return.

"The amount of work it's going to take to clear up that mess with _The Anchor_ doesn't bear thinking about!" Stelly complained crossly.

Sabo burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "Stelly, a little hard work isn't going to hurt you," he chortled with amusement. "And besides, think of how much more satisfying the end result will feel if you actually earn it," he encouraged, regaining his composure.

Stelly rolled his eyes but Sabo could tell he wasn't completely dismissing the suggestion. In fact, he looked pleased at the idea of building something out of the potential wreckage. Sabo wasn't altogether too surprised. Despite his somewhat idle nature, Stelly thrived on attention, and rebuilding the reputation of the family business would definitely get him some.

"I have something for you," Stelly suddenly burst out.

Sabo frowned. "For me?" he echoed. Stelly nodded and approached him. Sabo watched him cautiously. Just because he was doing what they both wanted and leaving, didn't mean he trusted Stelly to behave.

Stelly fidgeted and Sabo was just about to tell him to get on with it already, when Stelly thrust out his hands from behind his back. Sabo blinked in surprise when some goggles came into view. And not just any pair of goggles either, Sabo realised as he carefully accepted the 'gift'. They were in fact the same pair he'd found - brand new and barely worn - tossed away with the trash in Gray Terminal when he was seven years old. He hadn't seen them for nearly a year, not since Outlook had last confiscated them. He'd searched high and low for them with no success, and he'd honestly thought they'd been destroyed. He had absolutely no idea how Stelly had managed to get his hands on them.

Sabo raised his gaze to find Stelly glaring at him defiantly, as if daring the other to say anything. Sabo slowly grinned, easily slipping the goggles into place on the brim of his top hat, making sure they were secure before placing the hat onto his head.

Stelly nodded once as if in approval. "Now you look like you belong in Gray Terminal. No self-respecting noble would be caught dead with those things on them," he sniffed haughtily. Sabo tilted his head, curiously studying the boy in front of him. Stelly valiantly tried not to redden under the unexpected scrutiny. "What are you staring at?" he demanded, crossing his arms across his chest protectively.

"I just can't work you, Stelly," Sabo admitted thoughtfully. "One day you're the most selfish brat I've had the misfortune of meeting and the next you…" The silent 'help me' was left unsaid, because as much as both boys tried to ignore it, there was no denying the fact that Stelly had held some significant power over Sabo for several days. And he hadn't done anything. He'd cajoled and baited certainly, but he'd kept his mouth shut when he could very easily have turned to Outlook.

Stelly stared up at him, surprise at the silent acknowledgment marring his brow briefly, before his face fell into a much more familiar smirk.

"It's probably all your fault," he proclaimed, amused. "Mother's always said you were a bad influence."

Sabo snorted and nodded. "You're probably right. Who knows how you'd have turned out without me around to steer you right," he teased, picking up his bag and swinging it onto his shoulder. "Good luck, Stelly, you'll need it," he alleged, walking over to the window.

Stelly frowned, glancing at the bedroom door. "What are you doing?" he asked, confused as he watched Sabo fling open the window.

"Leaving," Sabo said cheerfully, jumping onto the ledge and adjusting his hat ever so slightly.

"What's wrong with the front door?" Stelly called to him in alarm.

Sabo didn't reply. He simply grinned, and with practiced skill took a flying leap from the window ledge to the closest tree branch, a joyful laugh escaping him as he plummeted down, the ground and freedom rushing to up meet him.

**xxx**

The fresh sea breeze whipped at his coat and his bag bounced lightly against his back, but Sabo paid them no mind as he dodged and wove his way through the stream of people down by the docks. As it was nearing midday, there were plenty of people milling about and minding their own business. Which made looking for one person in the throng slightly tricky but Sabo was nothing if not persistent.

And that perseverance finally paid off when he reached the further end of the harbour. At the end of one of the piers jutting out, Sabo spied the cloaked figure he'd been searching for.

Grinning and clutching the precious file tightly, Sabo dashed forwards, eager to catch him before he boarded the waiting vessel. As he approached and the crowds gradually began to thin, Sabo spotted that the man wasn't alone. Nearly hidden in the shadow of the investigator thanks to his small stature, was a small boy Sabo immediately recognised, despite only having met him once outside Outlook's office nearly half a year ago.

The boy's face was upturned to the investigator, who was smiling down at him sadly.

"Are you sure?" Sabo heard the boy ask as he edged closer.

The investigator sighed. "I'm afraid so, lad." The grimace that appeared told the little boy everything he needed to know, and Sabo saw a pair of little shoulders slump in disappointment.

Taking that as his cue, Sabo cleared his throat and smiled warmly when two pairs of eyes darted to him. The investigator stared at him, jaw slacked in disbelief. Sabo tipped his hat at pair, trying not to laugh at the man's bewilderment.

"You look familiar," the boy said, peering up at him intently.

Sabo's smile weakened slightly. "We met outside my fa-Outlook's office, remember?" he prompted gently.

A small flicker of recognition flashed across the cherub-like face and Sabo's heart clenched when the boy nodded slowly, the pain clearly etched on his face for all the world to see. Anger boiled in Sabo's chest as he was confronted once again with the agony Outlook had caused. Sabo reached out and ran a gentle hand through the boy's hair, hoping it would offer some sort of comfort to him.

"Master Sabo, wasn't it?" the investigator asked, stepping forward and offering Sabo a handshake.

"Just Sabo," the blond corrected softly.

The investigator's eyes widened a fraction. "I assume you're not here for pleasantries. May I help you with something?" he enquired.

Sabo shook his head briskly. "No, but I believe I have something that might just help you," he explained, presenting the file he'd been so desperate to get his hands on. The man accepted it hesitantly, his brown knitted with confusion as he flicked it open and briefly perused its contents. The man released a startled exclamation and Sabo grinned widely when he nearly dropped it shock, his hands were trembling so badly.

"Where–how? You - " the man stuttered, at a complete loss for words.

"I trust that you know what to do with this information?" Sabo asked, winking at the small boy stood beside them, whose eyes darted from one to the other as he tried to follow their conversation.

The investigator stared at him dumbly for several seconds before shaking himself out of his stupor and nodding eagerly. "O-of course! But-but how did you-"

"Unimportant. I hope it helps," Sabo smiled. He patted the small boy on the head one final time before turning and striding down the docks, heart feeling lighter than it had in months.

"What did that noble give you?"

The reply was quiet but Sabo just caught it. He couldn't help but laugh as he disappeared back into the crowds.

"Leverage. And that was no noble, lad."

**xxx**

Every step Sabo took further into Gray Terminal, he swore he felt a great weight lifting from his shoulders, and the tightness of his chest gradually receded. Gone was the stifling, fake perfumed air of High Town and instead in its place the crisp autumn air almost stole his breath away. It was a wonderful thing, after so many years of being trapped behind stone walls and with nothing but pristine surroundings, to see the accumulated chaos and filth of the trash heaps. Sabo felt like he was seeing the place for the first time all over again, and he tried to take in everything he could as he walked, not wanting to miss a thing.

Energy like he hadn't felt in years started coursing through his veins and with it came the realisation he didn't have to hold back. He didn't have to force it away and remain calm and composed. He could run and leap and laugh, even yell if he wanted. He could feel the stares of the residents following him through the mountains of rubbish, sharp eyes trying to make sense of his presence in their territory before they returned to their own business.

Sabo didn't linger long. He didn't want to antagonise anyone on his first day back and no doubt he would become acquainted with everyone the next time trouble found himself and his brothers, because for all that these weren't the same mountains they once climbed, they were still theirs to conquer.

As the trash heaps began to thin, Sabo found himself running full speed towards the edge of the forest. He had no idea when exactly he had started to run, but the sight of the trees had never been so welcoming and he dove into its depths with abandon. Animals large and small scurried out of his way when he crashed through the undergrowth, startling them.

Sabo's breathing began to labour the closer he got to the treehouse; years of sitting at desks studying had done nothing for his fitness, but he didn't slow down. He wouldn't need to arrive looking perfectly composed, although he supposed Ace might tease him for the amount of twigs and leaves that had attached themselves to his coat in his mad rush through the forest.

When the treehouse finally came into view, Sabo felt a large grin spread across his face. It was much more weathered than the last time he'd been home. Its timber structure was now littered with patchwork repairs, some being more successful than others, but there was no denying it had been cared for over the years and still served as a welcome place for its occupants to rest their heads.

Sabo's climb up the enormous tree trunk didn't take him as long as he'd thought it would. His hands and feet remembered better than his mind which was the best route up into the sanctuary of the branches. He grinned when he spotted a few of their old traps and realised they were still ready to trigger, although they looked rather worn. Sabo supposed either Dadan had finally discovered where they'd hidden them and learnt to avoid them or she'd stopped coming to spy on them altogether. Sabo rather thought it was the former; he knew she was a lot more attentive to her 'brats' than she would like people to believe.

The closer he got to the top, Sabo started to hear two familiar voices drifting down to him, reassuring him that his brothers were in fact waiting for him at the top.

"You know, Luffy, if Dadan could see your idea of cleaning, she'd stop pestering you into helping with the chores all the time. There's no way anything else is going to fit into that trunk!" Ace's warm laughter greeted Sabo as he stepped silently onto the small platform just outside the curtain-covered entrance.

"Yes it will!" Luffy grunted. "There's plenty of room left!"

"No, there isn't," Ace replied with a chuckle. "You've stuffed nearly everything we own into that thing."

"Aaaccceee!" Sabo tried hard not to laugh at the plaintive whine. "Stop laughing and come help me close the lid already!"

Whatever response Ace gave was lost in the crack of splitting wood and two startled yells.

"Ah! It broke…"

"Of course it did, idiot!"

Curiosity getting the better of him, Sabo finally pulled aside the ragged curtain and poked his head inside, only to immediately burst into laughter at the sight that greeted him.

In the far corner, Luffy was sat on the floor in front of the remains of a wooden trunk, both its sides split apart and all the contents – Ace hadn't exaggerated, Luffy had indeed tried to stuff nearly everything they owned into it – thrown everywhere. What was most amusing however was that Luffy had somehow wound up with a pair of shorts on his head, the legs hanging around his neck like floppy blue ears.

Ace was sprawled lazily on his back a far enough distance away that he had managed to avoid the explosion of flying clothes and other knickknacks that the brothers had collected over the years.

Upon hearing Sabo's laughter, Luffy spun around and threw his arms up, an impossibly wide grin on his face. "Sabo!" he cried, ripping the shorts from his head and jumping to his feet.

Ace peered up at him, grinning warmly, but Sabo was shrewd enough to catch the relief his appearance had caused. "Welcome back," he stated.

Sabo returned his brothers' grins, and took his first step inside. "I'm home."

**xxx**

_**Three Years Later** _

"Luffy! LUFFY!"

The fourteen-year-old in question stuck his head out of the rickety timber structure, peering around until he caught sight of Dogra running towards him, newspaper in hand.

"Luffy!" the bandit panted, skidding to a stop outside Luffy's still relatively new abode in the clearing outside Dadan's hut. Ace and Sabo had been insistent that Luffy move closer to the bandits once they left, shortly after Sabo's seventeenth birthday since neither were particularly happy at the idea of Luffy residing in their old treehouse alone. He was more than capable of protecting himself now but there was no way Luffy would've been able to manage the upkeep the place needed in its old age. Luffy hadn't complained. He rather enjoyed the bandit's companionship after his brothers had left. He had insisted on building his own place though and now 'Luffy's Country' was located less than ten feet from Dadan's front door, the brothers' old ASL flag happily flying from the crooked roof.

"What's up, Dogra?" Luffy asked cheerfully, having waited patiently for the man to catch his breath.

"Look at this!" Dogra exclaimed excitedly, pushing a crumpled newspaper into Luffy's hands.

Luffy didn't need to look to find out what had Dogra so excited. There, on the front page and beaming proudly, was Ace, a reward sum for his capture - dead or alive - printed in large, bold ink just underneath.

"Wow!" Luffy cried, jumping to his feet in excitement. "Ace's made a name for himself! And look, there's even a picture of his pirate ship and crew! Ace is amazing!" he gushed.

Dogra frowned. "There's no mention of Sabo though," he said, a little confused since the older brothers had set off together.

Luffy laughed. "Of course there isn't! Sabo told me not to expect him to have one before they left," he explained before sitting back down, attention returning to Ace's wanted poster. "I need to get stronger! I'm not gonna lose to Ace!" he declared loudly.

Dogra frowned. "Why wouldn't Sabo have a wanted poster? I thought he was going to be a pirate too?" he queried, trying to regain Luffy's attention.

Luffy shook his head. "Sabo didn't leave to become a pirate," he said absentmindedly.

"What did he leave for then?" Dogra asked, puzzled.

Luffy looked up at him, a proud smile in place. "To find the Revolutionary Army!"

Ignoring Dogra's splutter of surprise, Luffy glanced back down at the wanted poster clenched tightly in his hands and grinned widely. _Ace, Sabo...wait for me!_

**XXX**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, please remember to review :D
> 
> I do have an idea for a sequel to this 'verse, so if there's enough interest, I will certainly consider writing it.
> 
> I'm going to be taking a small break from posting for a while. I'm currently working on my next fic but it's really long and complicated and taking an age so I really want to have several chapters written before I start posting that one, so bear with me!

**Author's Note:**

> Please remember to review :D


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